Hapless Lovers
by slexenskee
Summary: SS With age comes new awareness, and Sasuke's life had maintained the same single-sentenced goal that he was beginning to get that cold feet I-don't-know-what-I'm-doing feeling. And this time, Sakura would not be the one to show him.
1. H

_So, after I forgot my stupid password and wasn't able to log on for FOREVER (or so it seemed) I finally got this chapter up, which took a lot of patience that I didn't exactly have. _

* * *

_If I could say what I want to say… _

The Konoha metal gates had never looked so intimidating. Large, over powering in a way that would have made him cringe. He roughly held his Konoha hitai-ate in his hands, the scar still marked through it. _Mission complete. _He thought bitterly to himself, the words he said all the time in the dark caverns. The grass was wet underneath his feet, from morning dew that always came in Konoha. Something he found himself missing. Of course, that wasn't the only thing he missed.

There was Naruto, his best friend who finally convinced him, of course, after his mission was completed.

There was Kakashi, who although blithely, probably still cared.

And that was about everyone…

Aside from the normal emotions he felt in his heart when he thought of her.

But that was a different story entirely. If everything was so simple, he figured they would have been a long romance, but nothing was that simple. It was almost as often as his family did he dream about lost cherry lips, usually resulting in morning wood of the worst kind. That was something that he didn't want, especially in the dreary corridors of sound. But looking at the concrete walls standing before him, he felt a flood of emotions.

"Well…" he grumbled bitterly. "I'm going to kill the dobe if this doesn't work."

He had a feeling if anyone heard that that they would take it seriously.

"Name and passport please." A newly promoted Gennin seemed nervous to greet the man with such an aura.

He slipped his hand into his back pocket soundlessly, pulling out forms.

The Gennin examined the documents, eyes widening considerably. "B-B-B-But your U-Uchiha S-S-Sasuke!"

Amusing enough, Sasuke didn't seem the least bit interested in the Gennin's spasm. "Hn."

"J-Just w-wait a minute…" The Gennin took out a radio commander. "I g-gotta call my commander."

_Chuunin captain Uzumaki p-please?_

…

_/You need something Konohamaru?/_

_Y-yeah! Uchiha Sasuke h-has just arrived at the g-gates!!!!!_

_/Really? I'll be right there./_

From what Sasuke heard of their rather short radio conversation, Naruto had been promoted to commander, the scared stiff Gennin in front of him was none other than Konohamaru, and he had an exceeding reputation. Not to mention the fact that whatever plan Naruto had to get him out of execution was nothing short of a miracle.

There was a loud poof, and gray smoke cleared to reveal a definitely grown blonde haired Chuunin captain.

Naruto gave another goofy grin. "Yo! How've you been?"

Sasuke gave a meek smile.

Naruto laughed at that. "Well anyways, I'd escort you, but I've got crappy guard duty! So you just have to get to the Hokage tower without any trouble, okay? Obaa-chan will know what to do, no worries!"

It was strange when Naruto didn't add his usual, "Believe it!"

But nevertheless, Sasuke trekked into the now opened gates; that made a loud screeching noise. Naruto gave the frightened Konohamaru a pat on the back, with his never ending grin as the two watched Sasuke slowly take his first few steps in Konoha since all those years ago. The streets, the buildings, they seemed to look the same, as if nothing changed. But no matter what, he didn't think he'd ever regret his decision.

He knew he shouldn't, but when he remembered that smile…

He shook his head to clear his thoughts.

Sasuke took a few more steps, his eyes wandering from the buildings, engrossed.

Even then, his shinobi instincts made him swivel around to catch an object speeding his way. He grabbed it, looking at the object that turned out to actually be just a simple red ball. He looked at it in wonder, how could he have thought that was a weapon. It seemed to be simply a ball with air in it, maybe a kick ball or something uninteresting and definitely harmless like that. It made him feel pained that he could think this was a weapon. How long had the influence of danger affected him?

The ball he caught must've belonged to a little kid-

"Hey mister, are you going to give that back to me anytime soon?"

He looked down, hearing the defiant tone. "Hn?"

She stretched her arm out, and he met raging emerald eyes. "That ball. It's mine."

"Oh." He tossed the red ball in the air, watching her long black hair spray as she leapt to catch it.

He turned, continuing his trek over to the Hokage tower, not sparing the little girl another glance. She watched his back though, as if wondering where his hitai-ate could have been. Absent-mindedly, she rubbed the bruises over her arms, before turning to play with her friends.

The Hokage tower was exactly like he remembered it to be.

Absolutely in-penetrable from the outside, aside from a few guarded windows to high to jump to, and a lot of Chuunin guards at the entrance. They seemed to be newly promoted Chuunin, because they weren't of faces he could recognize. Either way, he walked past them briskly, walking up the stairs to get to the Hokage's office

"State your name and-

"She's expecting me." He cut the ANBU guard off.

They stood stiffly, but otherwise watched him open the doors to the Hokage office. There were mounds and mounds of paperwork, a blonde Hokage working furiously to sign them. That wretched pig was in the corner, sleeping on one of the chairs lined on the walls. He didn't know whether to disturb her or not.

"I know you're there, Uchiha." She grounded out easily.

He blinked, standing rigidly. "I was sent here-

"I know that you little brat." Tsunade slammed a fist into the table, and the ground quaked. "Do you have any idea how much Naruto risked for you to stay in here? Not only are you not going to be executed, you're just going to get interrogated and maybe ANBU for at the most a MONTH. Do you have any idea how difficult that was for him?!"

Sasuke wasn't sure if he should reply or just let her continue her rant.

She sighed. "The Uchiha Compound is where you're going to sleep, okay?"

He nodded absently.

"I don't wan you loitering around the Konoha gates either. It's going to make suspicions that are going to put mine, and Naruto's finally forthcoming reputations. And something else important…

Sasuke raised a brow, as if edging her on.

"Stay.Out.Of.Trouble." She emphasised her point by jabbing him with a chakra enhanced finger. "It's going to really suck for all the people that helped you get in here nearly scott free if you blow it and go off to that _other _Uchiha."

Of course he had known that the Hokage would have said that. But it was the part where she mentioned that it was more than just Naruto who wanted him back in Konoha, something he hadn't figured when he thought about Team 7. He was fairly sure Sakura must've just about hated him, after all they had been through. He himself knew that he hadn't exactly came back just for her...but he was fairly certain some part of him had wanted to see Sakura again. They had alot of history, he supposed.

They had only had one other encounter when they were eighteen….

"Hai…" His voice sounded a little hesitant, as he dwindled closer and closer to the door.

"Good." The female Hokage grounded out. "Now scram!"

Although begrudgingly, already hearing rumors of how powerful the Hokage's punch was, and not willing to get to feel it full hand. Exiting almost as quietly as he came, he didn't miss the, "I need sake" from the Hokage as he closed the door. Idly he wondered how on Earth Naruto was able to get him such little punishment, but he figured it had to do with something like the fact the council always seemed to like him oddly enough…

At least him and Naruto had no hard feelings, just where was Sakura though?

--:-----:---

"Hinata-chan, I'm home!"

Ebony tresses fell over her shoulder, as she looked up from pouring tea, brushing the strands out of her face. Endless blue met pale lavender in an exchange of emotions, relaying from happiness to sadness in nearly the mere seconds their eyes locked. It was enough to make the Hyuga Jounin a little heart-felt.

She knew what he was happy for. For her, for his new promotion to Chuunin captain, to the Jounin Exams on the horizon, for Sasuke coming home, and the he too was finally in the village long enough to take part in the Jounin exams. And his sadness, the fact that Sakura hasn't been in the village in over a year now, that there was a little terribly sad girl sitting in their kitchen, that Sasuke was going to definitely search for Sakura, and that everything he worked for might just be in vain.

But she returned his smile evenly, offering him tea.

He shook his head.

"What are you guys, mute or something?" A rude interruption to their silent plea. "Seriously, you haven't talked at all yet!"

Naruto opened his mouth. "Shut it little squirt; your elders are talking!"

"Elders my ass!" The girl counted indignantly on her fingers. "You're only… 17 years older than me!"

"I'm 23," He mocked. "And you; are just 5."

She stuck her tongue at him.

"Now, now you two." Hinata sighed. "Always getting into fights like this! I don't know what's came over you two now…"

"He-he-he," Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry Hinata-chan."

"Yeah…Sorry Hinata-ba-chan." (ba means aunt…right?)

"It's fine." Hinata blushed. "I didn't think you guys would apologize so quickly."

"Well it wasn't one of our real debates anyways." Naruto sat down, staring into jade eyes. "But it's just with…him coming back that I-

"Him?" The little girl interrupted, viridian eyes lit. "Who's him? Some guy you used to know? Secret lover? Maybe even your child or something! Come on….TELL me!"

Naruto sent an icy glare that shut her up. "It's not for you to know."

Hinata could sense the tension. "Rei-chan, why don't you head upstairs? You need to take a bath from all that playing."

The corks in the girls head ticked by, as if she already knew what they were planning. She pouted, but none the less, trudged up the stares unwillingly and Hinata and Naruto heard the sound of the bathroom door sliding shut, and knew she had actually listened to them. Hinata gave a defeated sigh, looking at her reflection in the jasmine tea she had already prepared.

Meanwhile, Naruto seemed to do the same thing. He listened for the tell tale shut of the door, and knew that they could talk about the topic in silence. It's not that he didn't like the girl; it's just that, she reminds him of all the times he'd fight with him… As if he was still the same, reborn into another fire-spitting spirit just like his own. And he too, looked into the reflection in his tea.

Naruto broke the silence. "So he's back."

"But what about…" Hinata looked down. "What about S-Sakura-chan?"

"I asked the Hokage today again." He sighed. "But she didn't have any news. I think she's still mad at me because I keep asking her everyday. I know I shouldn't worry but…"

Hinata cut his ramblings off. "But we don't know anymore if Sakura-chan is-

"Don't even say it." Naruto grounded out. "Sakura-chan would never do that; she wouldn't just die on some stupid mission. I-I know her, and she cares way too much about us to ever think of going out and dieing."

"But Naruto-kun, it's been almost a year now, and Sakura's mission was only supposed to take 10 months…" Hinata mumbled off.

"But it was an S-class mission!" Naruto reasoned. "It's not unheard of to have to spend another few months getting out of the mission. There could have been something that went array and Sakura just had to re-position herself for the time being!"

_Naruto…_Hinata thought sadly, watching the blonde get himself worked up.

"However pressing Sakura-chan's whereabouts may be…" Hinata drifted her eyes to the upstairs. "What are we going to do with Rei?"

Naruto looked up to the upstairs too. "We promised Sakura-chan we'd look after her, I would never ever give her up to some stupid adopted-

"It's not that I don't want Rei to stay with us, Naruto-kun." Hinata interrupted. "But, saying if Sakura-chan does not return, what is going to happen to Rei?"

Naruto paused. "What do you mean by that?"

"She'll be mother-less, Naruto-kun. And as much as I care for her, we can never replace her parent…err…parents. However, now that the other one is back, even if Sakura doesn't show, Rei will still have another-

"No." Naruto's eyes almost bled red. "As much as Sasuke and I have been friends recently, I'll never forgive him for what he did to Sakura-chan. Never. And I don't think he's actually responsible enough to take care of a child."

"I suppose you are right about that." Hinata sighed.

"So Rei stays with us." Naruto put his "And Sakura-chan will come back, I know it…Believe it."

Hinata couldn't help but smile at her boyfriend's optimism. It was something she missed over the three years that he left to go train with Jiraiya. And although he had to re-take the Chuunin Exams, he passed, and was now going to become a Jounin just like herself. It felt as if the world was recollecting. Until everything went downhill again, Sakura was a single parent, sent on a long-term mission because she was the only one who could.

Sakura always had to put her friends and village before her, and now, Rei too.

-----:-----:---

_What's with this village anyways? _Sasuke thought bitterly. He came back for nothing. He thought that coming back would fill the hole in his chest, a hole that not even killing his brother seemed to close.

And, as he grudgingly walked to the house he didn't want to go to, he noticed the wind that picked up and fluttered his usually un-fluttering hair.

"Go away god damn wind."

It was like that stupid wind was always there when he was stuck in a grump, and he hated it. Truthfully, and for some odd reason, there had always been something of a draft in the corridors of sound, even in the dog days of summer. It made him wonder if the wind had a personal vendetta against him or something, it followed him around helplessly. And yet…it was always there, persistently popping back into his life, something he couldn't say from most things.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" Sasuke grounded out, feeling his head. "I'm debating about the wind!"

And it seemed that the breeze past him by, fluttering over to someone else to bother at that comment. He followed, the only traces of the moving current was the fluttering of leaves or the sound of wispy lost whispers in a blurred form of a thousand souls, unable to talk coherently without sounding like just a lot of noise. It moved soundlessly, until he heard the abrupt banging on the Hyuga door compound did he know where it went.

Either way, he had stopped debating about the wind when he opened the door, the steal grates screeching as they were pulled apart unwillingly.

It was like looking at a ghost town.

And he hated it.

He held a hand to his mouth, dust flying everywhere, even from the plants, that seemed long dead, frozen in the state they were when everything had went awry. But he spent some hours of his life, wondering if it would have been better if his family was alive? Would it? Or would he have been confined to a life where his parents had expected everything of him.

It was a regretting decision now.

But he would never pull back the hands of time, even though it was too late to play the role of a martyr, he knew it was true. He didn't deserve it. For all the other people's happiness he had spilt for his own, and then, he still couldn't get happiness.

He gripped his head rather comically. "Dammit I'm such an idiot!"

----------:--------:---

The wind fluttered through skies of azure, through the west gate, over the east gate, and then finally reached the north gate. There were two new Gennin sitting on the side, watching the deserted dirt path, with sleepy eyes. It wasn't that they wanted to sleep; it's just that this gate was never used. There was so much more traffic over on the east gate.

"Why couldn't we just go to the east gate?" One groaned, slamming his head into the concrete wall. "…ow…"

"You're such an idiot Konohamaru." The female brushed her pig-tailed hair. "You should know better than to do that."

Konohamaru folded his arms. "Yeah well there's never anyone here-

He stopped, as he heard the slight crunch of leaves, and the distant sensation of someone he knew.

"?"

Moegi turned her head too, finally stopped brushing her hair, and leaned to look into the forest. "You hear something?"

He nodded. "Didn't you?"

"No." Moegi scoffed, until she too heard the crunch of leaves.

She stood up immediately, in a slight defensive position. A hooded figure came through the bramble, a black cloak covering the head and everything but the legs. It had to be a shinobi, from the sandals and the shinobi pants. But, why would anyone go the North gate, instead of the east like usual? North lead from Cloud; and no one from Cloud was allowed. Well, Cloud and Sound, as the Uchiha had entered from there not too long ago.

"Who are you?" Konohamaru held out his hand. "You have to state your name, village, and rank and give me your passport."

It seemed that the unknown figure was laughing.

"Ah, you little kids are so cute."

The cloak rippled as she leapt over them easily, jumping to the top of the gate and disappearing over it, leaving Moegi and Konohamaru staring wide eyes. It was as if…she was flying. So easily did she leap over the towering concrete walls that the wind seemed to push the two Gennin back, all the way into the gates. It left them watching the cloaked figure land gracefully on one of the buildings, leaping from roofs to the Hokage tower.

_We've got a problem at the North Gate! Someone just hopped the wall and is heading to the Hokage tower at approximately 70 miles per hour!_

_/Got it Konohamaru./_

The boy put his transmitter down, following what little he saw of the black cloak now.

"W-Who was that?!" He gawked.

"I-I…" Moegi stared. "I don't know…"

The cloaked figure was speeding off, with a giant leap, nearly hurling into the Hokage's office, papers fluttering everywhere.

"WHAT THE HELL?!?" Tsunade growled out. "I just FIXED all these papers!"

It was then that the blonde Hokage realized there was another person in the room, and quickly slid into a quick defense position. She was glaring, not to mention growling at the intruder, and she only received what she thought to be a rather un-intimidated look from the face she couldn't see. It was then she studied the shinobi pants that she knew it was definitely a ninja. But from what country…?

"Who are you?!"

"If you really don't want me around-

The cloaked figure leapt for the window to be caught by someone it hadn't expected. A strong muscled arm kept her from leaping out the open window, a breeze caressing her face, hair beginning to slip out of its carefully placed bun, few slips of it, flowing in the wind. She mentally cursed. And looking at the arm, that was clothed in a dark color, this man, had to be ANBU.

"Not yet." It was an aloof voice that came from the man. "I would have left our dear Hokage-sama alone, but I couldn't help but see the commotion."

It only took two words and she knew who was talking.

"So, mind telling us who you are exactly?" The man pushed her back into the room.

"P-P-P-P…" Tsunade couldn't even get the word out of her mouth.

The man's only visible eyes furrowed as he studied the cloaked figure. "Pink hair? But that means…"

Of course, the woman who was now identified was already cursing her hair, and it's one of a kind shade.

"SAKURA!!!!!"

* * *

_Well, I suppose this is a rather long prologue compared to the ones out there. I didn't want it to be like one of those short teaser kinds of things. I hate those, because then I don't know if the author will make all of the chapters THAT small unless they wrote it in an author note._

_But I'll stop rambling, REVIEW!!!_


	2. A

_It's been said that Hapless Lovers isn't as happy-go-lucky as Hapless Romantics was. Ah well, I suppose a little humor couldn't hurt it! I don't think I could ever write without humor anyways. _

_So for anyone who guessed the song last time, it was the opening theme for Windy Tales! _

_Hapless Lovers:A:Colors of the Heart_

_----------Hapless Lovers-------------_

"Really Hinata-chan, I don't remember you being such a pushover." Ino stifled laughter, brushing long bangs out of her face.

Hinata had an awkward look on her face. "I am _not _pash damp over Naruto-kun, really!"

Even TenTen joined in Ino's laughter. "We'll believe you Hinata; don't worry…just maybe in a few years."

"You know what?" Hinata was clearly irritated. "You're just jealous because I have a better relationship with Naruto-kun then you do with Shikamaru."

"What?!" Ino screeched, the coffee shop suddenly becoming quiet. "I am Sooo in a great relationship, Hyuga. I don't know what you're talking about."

TenTen sighed. "Ino, your voice never fails to cause a scene."

"What- Oh…sorry."

"A little late." Hinata muttered behind a latte.

Although Ino didn't respond, a rather melancholy smile on her face. "You know, this is starting to seem exactly like that one time…"

"Yeah…" TenTen joined in the angst. "If only Sakura-chan was here…"

The depression only furthered itself with Hinata. "But…but she's been gone…for such a long time…"

"Where are you Sakura-chan?!?!" Ino crowed. "How can you just abandon us for an entire year?!?!"

Once again, most of the little coffee shop had turned to look at the group of three. Although this time around, Hinata wasn't stupid enough to try and duck her head and slam against the wooden table in the process, and TenTen didn't seem to mind the ringing in her ears that meant she was one step closer to becoming deaf. And most of all, Sakura wasn't there to reprimand Ino for that obnoxiously loud voice of hers. This same coffee shop, where they all coincidentally met for a date. How convienient, maybe thirteen years ago they all had crammed into this shop for a date.

"Where am I? Well, I'm right here."

"No fuckin' way-

"Naruto-kun, if this is one of your sick jokes-

"Is it really-

Their voices blended together into a mesh of talking, and Sakura found it extremely hard to understand what they were saying. Usually, the girls were mature enough to take turns talking, and not have a free for all to get the most attention. Although the rule didn't apply at the moment, as eyes were widened to the point it may be hard for them to turn to normal size. And all Sakura could do was smile rather sheepishly at them all.

"Where the hell have you been?!?!" Ino came first, hands slamming into the old wood of the table and shook the glasses.

TenTen had a sly look on her face. "So you've finally decided to show up, eh?"

Hinata was smiling. "Sakura-chan!!!!!!!!!!"

"Yo." She greeted in a very Kakashi-like way, one hand in the air, the other clutching her bag.

"Where have you been?!"

"What took you so long?!"

"What about the mission-

"Did you get in trouble in Kumo?!?!?"

"Have a run in at Otogakure?!"

"What happened to only eight months?!?!?!"

"Err….Its classified." She cowed.

TenTen had an extremely annoyed look on her face. "You're the only one of us that's been on anything over an A-rank mission you know, that's totally now fair."

"Sorry." She smiled, brushing long pink hair out of her face. "I would have told you all about it, but I couldn't write letters, and I couldn't come home any sooner."

"And everything is classified right?" Ino frowned wryly, propping herself up on one hand.

She shrugged. "Hate to disappoint gossip Ino, but this subject isn't open for rumors."

"Hmm…" TenTen stirred her coffee, a distant look on her face. "I suppose you'll want to know what we've been doing."

Sakura nodded, ordering coffee herself. "Of course."

"Rei-chan is doing very well in school." Hinata piped up. "She's quiet a prodigy, albeit she gets in fights regularly."

"I guess she's still friends with Kakashi's son then?" Sakura hummed; a smile on her pink lips.

"Oh yes!" Hinata squealed. "Their so cute together, but Rei-chan still believes that boys have cooties."

"Aw…" Sakura giggled.

"Oh, enough fuzzy love and goodness and rainbows and puppies with pancakes on their heads." TenTen frowned. "We need to have good juicy gossip, not the 'I'm thirty and have fifteen kids'."

"Right." Sakura nodded. "So how many of you have actually had sex?"

It was then that they all blushed red, sans Ino of course.

"Well, duh." Ino seemed as flaunting as usual.

Hinata was crimson. "W-W-Well….w-well I…"

Sakura seemed concerned. "Oh, I hope Rei hasn't been intruding in your love life."

If anything, Hinata turned even redder. "N-N-N-NO!!! Of course we've…you know…"

"You don't have to be the virgin before marriage you know Hinata-chan." TenTen laughed. "A little late for all of us, huh?"

They all solemnly agreed, although Sakura had a heart-felt clench at that. Hell, she even had a kid, and although her friends didn't, and really couldn't understand. It made her feel a little older than she knew she was, maybe from the experience of having a child as an only parent, or maybe the fact they lacked the level of maturity. The only one she could truly talk to without feeling like a withered old woman sitting in on a troubling teenage conversation was with Hinata, and even then it wasn't truly a plum picking.

"Hm…" She sighed to herself, undoubtedly bringing troubled looks to herself like a magnet.

She had to change tact quickly. "Oh c'mon guys, I'm not depressed I swear."

The skeptical looks given _begged _to differ.

"It'd be more believable if you swiped that totally angst look on your face." TenTen said pointedly, cracker hanging out of her mouth to emphasis her annoyed look.

Ino nodded in agreement enthusiastically. "I believe we have some cheering up to do."

Sakura figured she should flee now, but it would be cruel to use a Shunshin on her poor buddies.

However, Sakura new the bulk of her problems was yet to hit her smack in the face when the screech of chairs on old wooden floors met her ears, and the nervous waitress in the corner abruptly flattened herself and her tray into the plaster walls of the café. Or it could have been the beginnings of a sinister smile curving its way into Ino's face, or the way Hinata had a calm way of owlishly staring at her as she finished her coffee. But overall, TenTen swiped the prize when she looped her arm non too gently with Sakura's, and just about hauled her out of her chair and threw her out the door, the rest of her friends following suit moments later.

Sakura would regret her earlier pity decision when she was in mid-process of hair extensions.

-----------

"Yo Sasuke-teme!"

The figure beneath the tree budged ever so slightly, and irritating thought etching into his brain, before it was kicked forcefully into the pile of emotional thoughts. Now was definitely not the stoic boy's day, if the infuriating blonde happened to be the owner of the voice, which was probably true, and if said blonde pounces on him, and successfully gives him a mouthful of dirt. As per usual, it was only part of the exuberant blondes style, well, that and swamping him with multitudes of himself, laughing all the way and reeking of chicken ramen.

And yet, even though inner Sasuke had desperately swallowed the key to the box of emotions, somehow the infuriating things popped into his head.

His eyebrow twitched.

"SASUKE!"

A finger jabbed itself into the base of Sasuke's forehead with a jerk.

The Uchiha was yet to move.

And yet again, a finger lodged its way into his forehead, ready to infiltrate his skull. "Are you still alive in there??"

He still didn't move.

He waited for the finger to once again find its way to his forehead like a heat sensing missile.

**THWAK**

He rubbed his sore head, eyes open, and glaring accusingly at Naruto's left hand that had just slapped him over the head, a triumphant smile-much to wide for ordinary Naruto smiles- had made its way to stretch against the blonde's face. If he had been gay, he was sure that this could have been the most beautiful thing that he had ever seen, but for the normal straight man, it bordered revolting. Naruto is going to get wrinkled way too early in life for someone his age.

"What?!" He finally growled out, black eyes blinking.

Naruto bent down to level his face to his. "Nothing, just stopping by."

Sasuke resisted the urge to punch the blonde into next Sunday, but that wouldn't be very Uchiha worthy, and resisted the temptation.

"Next time come for a better reason." He reprimanded irritably.

Naruto had a pout on his face. "You know, you were pretty happy to see me in Cloud Country a year ago or so, why are you so grumpy now?"

"Idiot." _Brainless, might I add. _The angry retort welled in his mind, but he suppressed it. "What part of me trying to skewer you with a sword sprouts happiness?"

Naruto shrugged. "Well, I dunno."

"Never mind." He grounded out, swiveling his head almost childishly to the other side. "Don't bother me next time."

Naruto poked him in his most ticklish rib. "You know you enjoy the company."

He frowned, knowing he was bested. "Hn."

"Oh damn," Naruto swished with worry. "Now your clamming up on me! No little Sasuke clam! Open your shell!"

Now would be a perfect time to duke the boy into the ground head first, and then laugh in his face afterwards, but the ANBU around the area probably wouldn't let him get away with that. So, opting for the less violent version, Sasuke's mind projected images of Naruto being stabbed multitudes of times with blunt and rusted spears, Sasuke (as much as he wouldn't admit it, as a clam) cackling evilly in the background.

"Naruto." Said boy looked expectantly at a closed-eyed Sasuke.

The look on Naruto's face fully exploited his optimism at a decent answer. "Yes?"

"That had to be the stupidest metaphor I've ever heard."

Naruto seemed insulted by the deadpan. "WHAT?!?!"

However, the blonde's emotions stilled ever so slightly, arms still raised over his head stretching his black jacket enough to see the black shirt under it, and he recoiled. It gave an ounce of worry in the back of Sasuke's brain where the emotions were jailed. Had he accidentally upset the blonde with his actually not so mean deadpan? Truthfully, as much as the Uchiha hated to admit, he was quite thankful that Naruto even got him in Konoha scotch free.

His expression fed off of worry. "Naruto-

"What is a metaphor?"

He collapsed into a heap of bones on the grassy hill, the expression of confusion on Naruto's face priceless. His arms were still raised, from what Sasuke could see of his grass lined vision, and the only thing changed was the questioning and overall desperate to learn look on his face. It was enough for any other Uchiha-less person to erupt into uncontrolled fits of laughter, but he wasn't an Uchiha-less person.

"Never mind." He cowed, standing up.

"Look," He had a resigned look on his face. "Why don't you stop being annoying and I'll give you ramen?"

"Ramen?" The boy's ears almost twitched at the word. "Really?"

He nodded slowly, waiting for the scream to come.

"Well why didn't you say so?! Let's go!"

He was grabbed by Naruto's hand and was forcefully dragged away, feet shuffling to keep up with the pace Naruto had set. Sasuke was sure the sight must have been gawking, the Uchiha heir and traitor being dragged by a bony elbow by a loud mouth blonde who thankfully gave up orange once he discovered black. Although the gothic Lolita look seemed almost off when combined with Naruto's usual wardrobe, it was definitely a budding start to a bloom of a fashion sense.

He wasn't sure if it was the fact that he was home, or if Naruto was just usually very exuberant that explained his behavior, because people seemed shocked by the sheer volume of his voice as he rambled about ramen.

"Old man!"

Sasuke cautiously slid himself onto the plush leather stools that were hosted there, his feet firmly planted on the ground.

"Naruto-kun? What will you have today?" The old man shot a wary look at Sasuke, but for few moments than most people. A decent start to redemption, perhaps?

"Oh, maybe two bowls of chicken ramen with extra Miso." Naruto didn't even need a menu, and Sasuke wasn't ordering.

To say Sasuke was shocked would be the understatement of the day.

The last time Team Seven had eaten there, although there should be credit given that that had been a long time ago, Naruto must have ordered ten or more ramen bowls of one flavor alone, that didn't even cover the rest of the flavors. Kakashi usually at one point or another had deftly whisked away with a quiet Shunshin, leaving Sasuke and Sakura to shovel up enough money for the bill. But money wasn't a problem for him with the cash left behind by his clan.

Still, Naruto's diet must have carved substantially.

Sasuke couldn't help it. "Only….two?"

Naruto glanced at him strangely. "Yeah, why?"

"Nothing," He shook his head. "You usually eat so much more than that."

"Oh yeah, before. After fending for myself with that old hermit I carved my diet a bit." His eyes were curved in almost a façade of happiness, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Ah." Sasuke pretended to understand.

"Today was so fun, I hope we do that again at least."

"You never know with her, she's here one day, gone the next."

"Almost like we dreamed the whole thing."

"Who are you talking about again?"

"No one." Three voices answered in unison.

"Eh?" Naruto looked up from his ramen, the voices getting louder. Sasuke followed in suit, narrowing his eyes to look into the distance of the extremely crowded street. There were a lot of voices, but the four of these seemed to stand out so much more with familiarity. He had to wonder whose voices they were. Naruto's face had broken out into a grin from what Sasuke saw in his side vision, and he turned his head to stare harder.

"Hinata-chan!"

_That's Hinata?_

The tinted blush on her face was nothing compared to what it was in the Gennin days. Hair that was once cut rather modestly in a straight sweep was flowing down her back, raven hair that bordered purple, bangs a little less straight, and wilder. She was walking next to a blonde. Ino, Sasuke realized, had grown up to wear even more revealing clothes, her headband tied on her forehead. TenTen still had her hair in buns, but she had a white Chinese shirt instead of her usual pink.

But the real thing that caught his attention was the little girl holding Hinata's hand.

Her vivid emerald eyes were staring up at Hinata, but the long strands of rather unruly black hair swished around so he was met with the viridian pupils.

They all stared in silence.

"Naruto…" Sasuke finally began. "Is that your kid?"

Naruto sputtered out his ramen, Hinata blushed fifteen shades of red, and Ino was peeling all over the floor in laughter, while TenTen smiled in irony. The girl blinked at him, nearly half a size shorter than him, while her eyes grew in size, before quickly narrowing. If her eyes weren't so green, he would have said she looked like him. Come to think of it, the girl didn't look anything like Naruto or Hinata, not even the pale eyes of a Byakugan.

"What?!" That girl had a screechy voice. "I'm not their kid! I'm waiting for-**MPHF**!

Hinata quickly slapped her hand over the girl's mouth, a sheepish look on her blushing face as she turned her face to Sasuke's, eyebrow twitching quickly.

"Ha-ha, we're taking care of her while her mom's out…" She drifted off pointedly, as if to say it wasn't any of Sasuke's business who or where her mother was. Not that Sasuke particularly cared on the matter.

"Ah." He hummed flippantly, in a bored manner.

Ino was the first to actually advance conversation to him. "So…you're back."

Even loud mouth and babbling Ino didn't seem to have anything to say on the subject, wide eyes blinking. Well, not that he had much to say on it either. He figured that most of the original twelve wasn't going to actually interrogate him, as he would get enough of that with a scarred Ibiki harping over him like a mother hen, for all the wrong reasons. Now that was a thought he hoped wouldn't come true, the mental picture of Ibiki as a hen wasn't exactly settling well with his stomach.

Naruto-as per usual- sensed the tension. "Actually, Sasuke and I are gonna go train over in number 23, so we better be off!"

Sasuke didn't remember agreeing upon that, but he wasn't willing to retort. "…Yeah?"

So Naruto looped one arm forcefully around Sasuke's, a way to big smile plastered on his face, and nearly leapt out of the stools and into the sky like a rabbit. Of course, he didn't forget a quick kiss to Hinata's cheek, and the girl looked as if she was going to promptly faint backwards. He shot that little girl a stern glance, actually, a patent Uchiha glare, and surprisingly she returned it with just as much vigor.

He blinked…it was like looking at his own scowl.

She whisked her head away arrogantly, tugging at the hem of Hinata's shirt to get the girls attention. It was then that the other two girls erupted in cooing and tugging at her cheeks, the frown deepening. It was a good thing she wasn't Naruto's daughter, she didn't look a thing like him. Sasuke always imagined Naruto's kids to have big blue eyes and little to none attention spans. She seemed almost too intelligent, rowdy too from the looks of those bruises.

"Interested in Rei-chan, eh?" Naruto had a teasing grin on his face. "Too bad, she's too young for you."

Sasuke scoffed. "She's got to be like three dobe, that's gross."

"You think she's three?" He had a pondering look. "She's actually five, small for her age though."

"And I take it you're taking care of her for a friend?" He tore his gaze from the head of tussles black hair.

"Yeah, a really good friend."

Sasuke had torn his glare away from the little girl already; he still didn't even know her name. He had his eyes on the road, a slight wonder in his head if they were actually going to train or were taking a walk around the city. And for once, as Naruto's blue eyes side-swept to look at Sasuke's, he was happy that Sasuke couldn't line the pieces of the puzzle up.

--

"This place looks like shit."

It wasn't the nicest of language, but at the moment, that wasn't Sakura's number one priority. Anyways, Rei was out with her friends, probably enjoying that sickly and disgusting twist of vanilla and tomato that the little girl had such a demanding taste for, and wouldn't be there to mimic her language the way she usually would. Having a child was such a hassle. And even worse, being a single parent made the burden ten times as much as it had been before.

And it wasn't the fact that she barely had any time for herself when she was grappling time with Rei and her missions. It was the guilt that ate her up knowing she was staining her hands in blood and Rei was standing outside waiting for her to come home.

Man, what a guilt trip that thought was.

"I've got to clean this place up."

She unpacked boxes of plates, silverware, pillows, small chairs, and an assortment of things that belonged in the house. The walls were just a simple white, and she was going to change that. Definitely. Now that she had a decent amount of money, she was going to make this house look more like a house. And not the ANBU description of a house-which is a bed, a set of clothes, and lots of sake- but a place where Rei could actually have something of a pretty house.

After the most vital of ingredients was put away, boxes stacked neatly in the corner, and the floor of the kitchen and the living room was swept, she plopped herself on the couch. Of course there was a TV, three channels, but still a TV. A plastic cup of flowers, probably a school project from Rei, and one arm chair and her old cream sofa from her old apartment.

The only difference from the two was that her fridge was stocked with juicy juice, and there was a spare bedroom.

_Bedroom… I should take a look. _

She moved her tired legs, still sore from her mission and bruised, and walked down the scarcely carpeted hallway. There were two rooms, one was hers, in which housed her old bed, now covered in simple blue, a dresser, a bathroom, and probably a sleeping cat. And then there was another, and last year, it had a black (which was insisted upon by Rei, who refused pink) bed, blue curtains, and since Sakura just about cried when Rei had said she wanted a dreary blue for her walls, tomato printed wallpaper.

She pushed the door open, enveloped in dust.

"What the hell-

Well, this wasn't what she expected.

The walls were absolutely covered in paint, swirls of blue-all shades from cyan to navy- and other moody colors. Some walls had drawing on them, very good drawings for a five year old, and not the ordinary sunshine and puppies. Tomatoes naturally, blue moon flowers, what depicted angel wings, devil wings…and was that a Sharingan drawn in the corner? Sakura was amazed at her daughter's artistic talent.

"Was Sasuke…artistic?" Sakura mumbled to herself, she truly didn't know, and swiftly closed the door.

KNOCK…KNOCK

"Huh?" She perked her head up. "Oh, I'll be right there!"

She scrambled out of the only hallway, fumbling with the lock until it finally broke free. She placed her hands back on the sides of her Jounin vest and smiled.

"Hi Rei-chan-

"Oka-chan!"

She was tackled to the floor, utterly surprised at the strength of the five year old, but she mused that she really shouldn't, because that probably was inherited by her. The girl had her face buried in the layers of her Jounin vest, which luckily, was explosive-tag-free. There was a mass of raven hair, brushed, but already sticking out in odd places in a rather cute way. She stroked the hair motherly, much softer than her own pink locks.

"Your back…"

She heard the mumble, with an extensive giggle from Hinata. Looking up, she grinned as she saw Hinata with a hand to her mouth to stop her laughter. It was certainly good to see her again.

"I am back, Rei-chan." She smiled, uttering another countless strings of Thank you to Hinata, who blushed in return.

Jade eyes met emerald. "For good?"

Sakura sighed, already figuring she would say that. "I don't know Rei-chan…"

There was a look of hurt that crossed the girl eyes, but the sheer will of her cold outer exterior pushed it away from her eyes, to a look of rather dispassion. "I see."

Sakura knew exactly what she was doing, being an Uchiha expert. "Rei-chan, you know I can't, I have to go on missions, and it's what my job needs me to do."

"Like Otou-san?" Her eyes were covered. "Otou-san…is out on a mission…"

Well _technically _he was back, but if Sakura could help it, Sasuke wasn't going to see neither tail nor head of Sakura, and he wouldn't know about Rei either. It was just a little too much to bare to see that look of utter disgust Sasuke was going to have when he met Rei (little does she know that Sasuke's first impression is actually quite high) and he'd have that sneer that just retched of, "That pathetic thing is my child?"

It certainly was the same look they had shared after sex…which was supposed to be rather enjoyable.

"Yeah," Sakura patted her head. "He's still out there."

Rei had a look of almost…pride at that. "Otou-san is so brave! He's still out there, helping Konoha and Oka-chan."

_Oh YES, because the last time I saw him in Cloud he was so happy to see me, as he tried to cleaver my head off just hours after we had sex._

"…Right…" She finally was able to lie, and luckily, her daughter was looking at the house and didn't catch the look of pure sadness that passed her face.

"Whoa, the house looks so much nicer!"

She ignored the cry of joy, and got up, to hug Hinata. "Thank you, really."

Hinata laughed it off. "It wasn't any trouble; Rei is just so much fun."

Sakura glanced at the girl who was bounding into her room warily. "So he's back-?

"They met." Hinata interrupted, watching Sakura's face contort in horror. "But she was introduced that we were taking care of her while a friend was out."

"So he doesn't know?" She breathed in relief.

Hinata shook her head. "It's a good thing her eyes are green, she'd be the spitting image of her father."

Sakura nodded flippantly. "And I know _exactly _what he's going to say."

As much as Hinata wanted to say that Sasuke may have had a change of heart since he left, and that maybe he wasn't the same man who tried to kill her and Naruto in cloud, but she stopped herself. It'd be much too naive to believe that the Sasuke they saw was simply curse-seal induced and controlled, which he probably wasn't. Whether his revenge was cleared or not, she hadn't asked, and it'd be even worse if Sasuke was still chasing after his older brother.

_Please Sasuke_. She prayed to herself. _Please, I hope you have changed. _

_--------------HAPLESS LOVERS-------_

_So there's the next chapter! Hooray! I give you pretty heart shaped cookies if you review! …U.U (sniffle) this seems to be a low rated fan-fiction compared to Hapless Romantics…I only got 14 reviews! C'mon people PLEASE review! I love to hear from everyone, whether flames (or heat pads :P) or if you just want to say you really enjoyed it, doesn't matter to me! _


	3. P

_So I've found I'm not a big fan of OC, but I need Rei in here or else Sakura wouldn't get near Sasuke when he returned, and probably wouldn't have the chance to fall in love with him unless she had a tie to him, which would be Rei. _

_Oh, Thank you for all the reviews! _

_---------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

She lay on her bed, slowly exhaling and inhaling. Her small feet were tangled in a mess at the bottom of her bed, cream sheets running in and out between her toes. Her hair was a mess; long strands of raven hair splayed out on the pillow, so long and so straight it was near volume-less. Her eyes however, were what made her look disarranged from a normal Uchiha. Vibrant viridian eyes full of green fire, but everything else was Uchiha perfect, too pale skin that required SPF 120, and black, black hair

Although she didn't know she was part of a clan that was near extinction, a clan haled heavenly.

She just knew she lived with her mother and her father was out on a very long mission.

The walls were covered with scribbles, almost everything blue, blue, and blue. It was her favorite color now, because her mother refused to let her have a nice black room. Simple and black, it was so much nicer than having to go out and buy vibrant and pastel colors, tacky neon or those chic café.

"Rei-chan! Get up already, you'll be late for school!"

She tumbled out of bed. "Yeah, yeah I'm coming!"

She was just a little girl, so she didn't bother to look at her hair, which was so long it stretched to her back. Bursting through her door, she sprinted down the hallway, the wood panels creaking from their old age under her lithe weight. Her mother was in the kitchen, and had already made her a bento for lunch. Her hair was up in a messy pink bun, strays of hair framing her face. They shared the same eyes though. She was smiling now, after realizing her mother was wearing a sun dress, and wasn't in her ANBU outfit.

"You're not going out like that." Her mother pointed incredulously to her short shorts and tank top. "Change into some shinobi clothes!"

"I will!" The little girl mumbled, stuffing a rice ball in her mouth. "You were yelling at me to get up so I got up!"

Sakura rolled her eyes, kids these days. "That means you have to brush your hair and get ready for the day! You don't have that much time."

Rei rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll change then." Disappearing down the hallway, she left her mother to herself.

"Sometimes I think I gave birth to a boy."

Sakura has sad eyes, watching her daughter that was strangely alike to her father in so many ways that she didn't even know. They both wore blue, and not just a cute and girlish pastel blue, but a deep navy. Same skin color, that required lathered amounts of sun tan lotion in the summer, and that obsidian black hair that was so straight and thin. Sometimes Sakura wondered if this girl was even hers, if it wasn't for those green eyes. But just thinking that this was Sasuke's child made her cringe.

Because Sasuke was no longer just a name, he was a person now, and he was living in Konoha.

She trusted her friends enough to know they wouldn't tell Sasuke about Rei. None of the girls held a grudge at him, but none would tell Sasuke about his only daughter unless Sakura gave them permission. It was so much deeper than that, because if Rei knew, it would be only a matter of time before she began to chase after him just like Sakura did. She'd chase after that very same dream, and she'd be just as heart broken to know that Sasuke wouldn't care.

She propped the lunch box on the counter, and began to sweep the kitchen floor, which was still dusty for the year that it hadn't been in use.

Her silence was broken when Rei tumbled down the hallway noisily, a comb stuck in her hair and brown shinobi shorts and a blue shinobi shirt with a swirl on the back. Naruto must have gotten it for her, because it just looked like a blue version of his own swirl he had when they were still Gennin. Thank god he didn't get her an obnoxious orange jump suit; he could save that for when for when he had his own child, which he probably would. And Sakura knew Hinata would love to be a mother.

"I'm gonna go already, k?"

Although Rei didn't wait for an answer, bursting out the door and bubbling with life, probably to go meet her best friend, AKA Kakashi's son.

She sighed again, it was good to finally be back home, to see Rei again. Although, she would have liked it better if Sasuke _wasn't _there this time, if he was…still at sound. It was too much of a hard break to see him now. She had heard though, that Sasuke was currently being guarded by ANBU for a few months, some other stuff to ensure he doesn't run away, but truly, not anything too terrible to live with.

Naruto had down a great job getting his ex-best friend/best friend out of trouble.

Although truthfully, Sakura wasn't sure if she exactly _wanted _to ever see Sasuke again, let alone let him see Rei.

"So much cleaning." She frowned, glancing around the dust covered walls and the small dust bunnies gathering in the corners of the room, multiplying. The rooms were fairly spotless though.

She suddenly wondered if she was really gone so long in Cloud.

-----------------------

The sun was just about fading into the tallest buildings, when Kakashi finally poked his head out of his book. His wife had made it clear that he was not going to read it anywhere near their son, who already had a bad enough influence when he realized his father used to be known world wide in the ninja world, and had rooted himself in the academy class as the best student. Aside from Rei of course, his best friend whom he still believed had cooties so wouldn't tell that he liked her.

"Oh…" Kakashi peered out of his orange book. "It's time to pick up Taro-chan."

He wasn't about to do that though, it was already the climax of the book, with _lots _of climaxes…

As Kakashi pondered what he should do, whether calling Pakkun was a good idea or getting Sakura to just pick up Rei and Taro together as per usual now that she was back, or risk getting a yelling from his wife if he went home and asked her to do it. Such hard decisions, how to get away with laziness.

Even Naruto could pick up Taro, because Taro was obsessed with all three of them; Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto, his legendary team that turned disaster. It was a legend here, spread like they were the Sannin themselves. And of course, Taro got caught up in that as they read a newly printed history book that had the failure of the Uchiha clan written in it already, and the little given information of Sasuke's whereabouts. He loved Sakura almost like a crush, but she was too old for him, and Naruto was like his awesome and cool and super strong older brother who could do anything.

Of course, Sasuke was Taro's favorite, because he was the only one that knew Chidori.

Speaking of Sasuke, said ANBU-followed ex-criminal was plodding along the deserted street right now, heading right under Kakashi's rooftop that he was sunning himself on. Kakashi suspected that Sasuke knew exactly where he was, because, out of all his students, Sasuke would never put his guard down. He wasn't sure if that could be considered a compliment though.

And then something clicked in Kakashi's head.

"Oh Sasuke-kun!" Kakashi felt the ANBU in the trees relax their chakra as they realized Kakashi was there too.

He raised his hand, but did nothing more.

Kakashi flipped off the building, tucking the book in his vest pocket. "I've got a favor for you!"

The ANBU stilled, poising kunai as if Kakashi suddenly was suspicious.

"What?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes, hands stuffed in his pockets.

Kakashi's eyes lit up, as if he suddenly turned malicious.

And ominous and tense moment passed through the inhabitants in the vicinity, which included ANBU who were beginning to wonder if Kakashi was about to relay something form Orochimaru, and was part of Sasuke's old entourage of spies from Konoha. Many had their kunai and shuriken poised as Kakashi's only visible eye wondered over to them as he leaned forward. Another tense moment as Sasuke began to wonder what the hell Kakashi was doing, if he was supposed to be married but his mouth was rather close to Sasuke's face…

"….You wouldn't mind picking up Taro-chan would you?" Kakashi smiled.

Kakashi nearly _heard _the kunai clunk as the ANBU comically fell headfirst into the trees they were hiding in.

"Taro?" Sasuke echoed.

Kakashi nodded. "Yep, he's my son, adorable little thing, you don't mind do you?"

Begrudgingly, Sasuke realized that he didn't have a choice in the matter, and nodded his head solemnly. "Whatever."

"Thank you then!" Kakashi waved, whether to Sasuke or the ANBU it was uncertain, before poofing away.

Sasuke frowned even deeper if it was possible; continuing down the abandoned path quietly; quiet enough to hear the whispers of the ANBU in the trees. His feet made the littlest noise they could, eyes twitching to the trees where he knew the ANBU were. He accepted it, but that didn't mean he couldn't be annoyed. Sometimes, they'd stop him if he was wondering too close to the gates, so he tended to stay on the outskirts of the town near the farmlands where it was far enough from the gates but deserted.

Wait, Kakashi said to pick up Taro…from where?

_The academy. _He frowned; he didn't want to approach people, even if they wouldn't recognize him.

He continued on faithfully, veering to another path that leads to the academy. His memory was a little foggy, but he could remember the times when he was much younger he used to walk this path when he was a Gennin with Sakura. Sakura…. No one seemed to know where she was, no matter how many times he discreetly asked her friends, or even Naruto. Not even he would answer Sasuke.

"_Ah…well, last I heard she was over on a mission…"_

"_I think s-she's s-still on the mission."_

"_Sakura? What the hell do you want with her Uchiha?"_

"_Sakura-chan? I think she's still on that mission; she's been gone for a while. Why are you looking for her anyways Sasuke-teme?"_

"_I don't know, ask someone else."_

Every single answer he received was incredulous, as if they were disbelieving that he even cared, although most don't seem to know the entire full story of what happened between them, not even Naruto had brought it up, and when he hinted about it, Naruto didn't seem to know. He figured that they probably didn't know anything, because Sakura didn't tell them. Konoha probably wouldn't have let him in if they did.

He could hear the little kids squealing as he approached the academy.

Now Sasuke wasn't particularly sure what Taro actually looked like, but he figured the boy would have some sort of mask, wild silver hair, and that dark broody look he had when he was younger, that seemed so much like Kakashi's son. An ideal picture of father and son, just about exactly the same. His wife must be mad that the genes seemed to skip her entirely.

Actually…maybe they didn't skip her entirely.

Because their was only one silver hair boy, and he had one arm slung around a pretty girl-they all seemed to be first year-and his other hand holding someone else's, chatting with so many people in one cluster that Sasuke found it hard to believe that this was actually Kakashi's son, Kakashi who always was mysterious and had a trick up his sleeve. But then his attention quickly snapped to the pretty girl that he was laughing with.

Wasn't that…Rei? That one girl that Hinata had with her, who was 'just a friends' kid. She had a wide grin over her pale face, her long ebony hair mussed around and her vibrant green eyes never wavering from Taro's face as he told a joke. Sasuke could have sworn she was an Uchiha, same hair color and skin, and a dark navy blue shirt with fishnet under it that looked similar to his. But she had different eyes; she had warm eyes that could never belong in the Uchiha family.

He decided that he might as well get this over with, as the parents and a lot of the kids began to leave.

"Where's Otou-chan?" Taro whined, face pouting.

Rei snorted. "Don't ask me, I think I'm going to walk home."

"Seriously?" Taro's eyes grew wide. "But I though your Kaa-chan was-

"Your Taro right?" Sasuke cut in.

He was met with two pairs of extraordinary large eyes, one green and the other blue. Sasuke couldn't remember Kakashi having blue eyes, must be his mothers.

Taro nodded slowly.

"I'm supposed to pick you up." Sasuke grunted, eyes switching between the two of them.

"Oh…really?" Taro asked slowly. "Who are you?"

Sasuke frowned. "That's none of your concern."

"Yeah it is!" Rei butted in. "Iruka-sensei says we shouldn't talk to strangers!"

This was getting to be a handful. "I'm not a stranger." Sasuke sighed finally. "I'm one of your father's students."

Taro's eyes turned to saucers. "S-S-SERIOUSLY?!!? Wow! That means you'd be……..well, I know Naruto-nii-chan and Sakura-san so….you're-you're…."

Taro couldn't even finish his sentence, as he blinked and looked up in total admiration, sputtering as he did so. Sasuke blinked, the boy couldn't even say his name, eyes lit up in happiness in meeting his dream idol. Sasuke hadn't realized there were actually people here who admired him, instead of hating him.

"Uchiha Sasuke." He put his hand out so Taro could take it, which the boy did so gladly.

"Bye Rei-chan!" He waved, as he left with Sasuke, trailing behind him, unaware of the ANBU in the trees.

"Bye." Rei said without much vigor.

Truthfully, Rei couldn't understand, as she watched their backs go into the sunset. Her mother was part of that team, so she always puffed in pride when Iruka would read the unit on Kakashi's famous team. And of course, so would Taro, because that was his father they would talk about when the class got to the part where the legendary Team Seven went to Wave, as an A-class mission.

But her mother never talked about this Sasuke, she only talked about the good times she and Naruto and this Sai person had when he left. But Sasuke…if she ever wanted to know about him she'd ask Naruto, who only gave slight details about the boy, before he'd give her a melancholy smile and leave. Kakashi said he had no stories, and that she should ask someone else. But that didn't help.

"Rei-chan!"

Now her eyes lit up, as she swiveled around from looking at Sasuke and Taro in the sunlight, to see her mother's smiling face. Sakura brushed loose strands of pink hair out of her face, the low ribbon in her hair keeping most of the hair out of her face. She rubbed Rei's hair affectionately, smoothing her hands on her apron that she came in and the yellow sundress that made her look so, motherly.

"Kaa-chan!" Rei squealed, wrapping herself on her mother's waste.

Sakura smiled brightly, as she patted her daughter's head.

"Um, Kaa-chan…"Rei pulled away. "Do you know where Sasuke is?"

"S-S-Sasuke??" Sakura echoed, bewildered, confused, and most of all, scared. "W-Why would you want to know that?!"

"Well, because he came and picked up Taro-kun today, but you said he was far gone!" Rei explained; a hint of accusation.

"I did say that." Sakura agreed. "But he's back now."

Rei had gone quiet. "…Will Otou-chan ever come back from his mission too?"

Sakura felt her heart break as she looked into her child's eyes. "Rei-chan…I'm not sure."

Rei had a sad look on her face, a mixture of something akin to fear, confusion, and anger. Her eyes grew wider as she looked at the ground, not even smiling, lip tightened into a frown. Sakura was concerned, her daughter looked like a mix of hurt and sadness, as if she was about to cry. But Sakura didn't know how to break the news to her that her father was right there, but the truth was, her father didn't care either.

But Sakura snapped out of her thoughts, as her daughter sprinted away from her.

"R-Rei!" She called after her, now Sakura could easily catch up with her, but something inside her told her that she should let Rei go, let her have some time to herself.

So instead, Sakura smiled sadly at her daughter, conflicted about the whereabouts of her father and what exactly her mother was hiding so deeply from her.

--------------------------

Rei had been running for a while now, and her feet were beginning to get numb. Truthfully, the young girl didn't know why she took off so suddenly, but it was as if she had to, something was dragging her away. Some sort of presence she was yet to recognize. It didn't make any sense in her young brain, why would her father leave her? Had she been bad when she was younger? She would have done anything to make her father stay. To chase his elusive presence to the end of the Earth and it wouldn't matter if she came back empty handed as long as she met him. As long as she could crash into him and look up at his face.

But the young Rei, tears sliding down her round flushed cheeks, hadn't realized that her dream would ever come true.

Literally.

She had bumped straight into Uchiha Sasuke, who was on his way home after politely declining Kakashi's wife's invitation for dinner, Taro nodding his head widely. The little boy had asked him every question imaginable, and Sasuke hadn't realized anyone could be so obsessed with him. But Taro was, and Sasuke decided he'd walk home solemnly, planning how to find Sakura, to apologize? Well, he hadn't gotten that far in his plan.

But then something tiny had smashed into him as he turned a corner, sending him nearly stumbling.

"Are you alright-?

He stopped mid-sentence, black eyes widened. It was that girl again, tears sliding down her cheeks so quickly it looked like rivers, her cheeks flushed and eyes puffy. She looked so terribly sad, and hadn't even realized she had bumped into someone, curled into his side and sobbing so hard she was going to get his entire right side of his shirt wet. If Sasuke wasn't Sasuke, he would have panicked.

"Hic….Hic…" She couldn't say anything, but she did shake her head. No.

"Well," Sasuke fought for words, he had never had to take care of kids. "Um…It's…going to be okay?"

He truthfully didn't know if it would be okay, but that was what the main heroine had said when he went on a date with Sakura all those years ago and had to sit through some crappy love story. He hated the damn thing-too many tears-but now it was coming in handy. He soothingly rubbed her back as she cried on his shoulder; she hadn't even opened her eyes to look at who he was.

"It's not it's not!" She wailed. "I can't f-find Otou-chan anywhere….he's gone…he's a long way gone…"

She sniffled at him, desolate viridian eyes looking at him so sadly that he felt something in his gut stab at him.

"It will be..." He tried again. "You're Otou-chan will come back…"

"You t-think so?" She sniffled again, rubbing her nose with the back of her hand. "You think he'll really come back for me?"

"Of course." He nodded, making lies the entire way, but he still felt happy to help her. "It'll all be okay."

She looked at her knees, curled against his side because he was still sitting on the concrete of the corner street that leads to his house. She seemed a little embarrassed, but aside from that, she was smiling at him through her tears. He couldn't help but think she looked so similar to Sakura when she did that, but she had black hair that looked more like his.

Come to think of it, he had always thought that if Sakura and he had a child it would look the way Rei did, black hair and green eyes.

"Thank you…" She sniffled again, hands by her sides as she stood up to let him get to his feet.

"Err, it was no problem." Actually, it was a problem, but you don't say that to little kids who were crying. It would only stunt their emotional development.

She bowed to him politely, some strands of wet hair sticking to her face cutely. Before she took off into the other corner, it was getting dark. Her mother must be worried sick, however she was.

When Rei got home, she had a smile on her face.

"Rei-chan?" Her mother called from the kitchen. "I made some Onigiri for you."

Her smile widened if possible. "Does it have tomatoes?"

"Of course!"

Rei sprinted into the kitchen where the Onigiri was waiting for her, a large smile plastered on her face and her tears long dried. She cracked open her chopsticks and started popping them in. Sakura watched her daughter from the other side of the island bar, making her own dinner.

"Where did you go? You look like you feel better." Her mother remarked.

Rei nodded her head. "I do feel better."

"Are you going to tell me anymore?"

Rei shook her head, pursing her lips childishly. "It's my secret. But I will tell you something."

"Oh?" Sakura feigned excitement. "What would that be little Rei-chan?"

She smiled even brighter, rice sticking to her cheeks and lips. "I think I found a nice daddy."

Now Sakura was surprised. Her eyes blinked a few times as her head cradled in her hands lifted up. Closing her eyes again, she smoothed her hands on her apron, bits of fresco hair falling into her loving face. So her daughter had found someone in the village she thought of as her father? That was nice to know. She'd have to thank the man later.

"That's good to hear." Sakura remarked, opening her eyes again.

"But he'll never replace Otou-chan." Rei interrupted. "I might not remember Otou-chan, but this man seems like what I think Otou-chan would look like."

"Ah." Sakura nodded, eating one of Rei's Onigiri.

"Hey!" The girl snapped. "That's mine!"

Sakura smiled smugly. "But I made it."

"But-But-But!" Rei sputtered over the loss of one of her Onigiri.

"Don't worry, I'm making more."

And just like that, the two of them had slipped the quiet and dusty apartment they hadn't lived in for along time into a happier place. In the back of her young mind, Rei had begun to think that the place had gotten a bit happier, and that maybe things were changing for the better now.

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_So Rei has met Sasuke, and is beginning to think that he's a nice person. Although more like her uncle, or someone very close to her. She still thinks of her father as some super awesome guy that's out saving the world so he can't be with her all the time. _

_But you know, Sasuke is no super hero, and he happens to be right there._

_Well anyways, I'll have the next chapter up sometime, I don't know because my god damn home ec. Teacher is failing me because the apron I made looked like a piece of shit. She's a btch. _


	4. L

_Sorry I updated so late! It wasn't my fault I swear! My mid-term report cards came in like two weeks ago and my dad flipped out when he saw my life skills grade! So yes, I have been grounded for eternity i.e. two weeks because I'm failing what is supposed to be the easiest class in the book. I made a decent scarf okay! Why can't she just accept the stupid thing?!??! _

_-ahem- _

_So here's the latest chapter! Hapless Lovers:L:Kuroge Wagyuu Kamishio Tanayaki 680 Yen_

_PS-all the chapter names are songs! Check it! _

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Sakura brushed the strands of pink hair that had fluttered into her face, peering down to look at the tomatoes in question. The weekend sunshine was already fizzling in from the top of the highest building, and Rei would have been in school by now. But she was here, somewhere, as Sakura and her went grocery shopping. Sakura needed to get Rei some tomatoes for her lunch this week, because the girl couldn't go without it. As she paid for the tomatoes, she heard childish screams and shouts.

Huffing, Sakura turned to see what mess her daughter had gotten into now.

"Rei-chan, what are you doing now-

"Why, hello Sakura-chan." A familiar voice had made its way from the havoc that had ensued.

"Kakashi-sensei…" Sakura blinked. "What are _you_ doing?"

"Me?" Kakashi smiled under his mask. "I'm just going grocery shopping."

Sakura laughed. "You? The famous copy-nin Kakashi? That just seems so ordinary for you to do."

"Hey…" Kakashi whined half-heartedly. "Taro wanted some tomatoes, so I'm getting him tomatoes."

"Did Rei rub off on him?"

"I suppose so."

And although the easy conversation looked so natural, in truth, it was only a decoy. As Rei and Taro ran around the market playing a childish game of tag, Sakura and Kakashi had a bit of information to discuss. They waited until the crowd around them had dissipated before they began the true subject of discussion. Kakashi's eye shad turned a little less joyous, a stone cold look in his eyes. Sakura sighed, knowing already what would happen. They began to walk through the market aimlessly.

"He's back." Kakashi told her, not looking at her, but eyes gazing into a distant merchant's supplies.

Sakura sighed. "I know already."

"Then what are you going to do?"

"…" Truthfully, Sakura didn't know what to do. "I…"

"And what about Rei, what will you do now?"

"I don't know." Sakura frowned exasperatedly. "I truly don't know."

"Then you know that that isn't a decent enough answer." Kakashi pointed out.

"I know that too."

"You're caring for more than yourself, Sakura. It's not just about what you need; it's about what Rei needs too."

"Kakashi, I don't need a lecture." Sakura frowned. "I'm old enough to know what to do, even in such a situation as this. And Rei always comes first, _always_."

He smiled. "It's good that you know then. But, Rei does need a father."

Sakura's head swiveled to look directly in Kakashi's eye.

"What?" She hissed. "How can you say that? The matter of Sasuke being in her life is already a closed discussion! He's not. I'm not letting a psychotic killer anywhere near Rei, father or not."

"I'm not the only one who thinks it's a good idea, Naruto does too." Kakashi turned to look at her. "We both do, because we are the only two people so far that have met him in person."

"Hinata met him-

"But Hinata was not one of his close friends, was she?" Kakashi interrupted.

But that was true, no matter how many years had passed, Sasuke would still never tell anyone besides trusted people about whatever he was doing. Even back in the day, he scarcely told Kakashi what was going on in his life, and that was only because Kakashi was his sensei. And Naruto now too, he seemed to have opened up to him recently as he was back in Konoha.

"Still." She finished lamely. "After all he did-to me, and you, and Naruto-do you think I'd forgive him just because he finished his goal in life and wanted a nice vacation?"

"Of course not." Kakashi answered quickly. "And I'm glad you're not forgiving him. But there's going to come a time when you'll have to-

"I get it already sensei." She frowned at him, marching briskly to pick up Rei. "And I'll think about it."

"Good to hear then!" He called over her shoulder, but she only waved dismissively at him.

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A week later after Kakashi had so casually reminded Sakura of her predicament, it had begun to rain. It was fall, so it was only natural it would begin to fade down into the last few showers of summer and begin to switch to winter. Konoha-as its name says-is the land of leaves, and thus, there are leaves. And many of them. It was raining, as Sakura stood outside of her apartment complex (she had moved into a bigger one over the years) and waved Rei good bye as she headed out to school. Watching the little girl flee into the distance, she pulled her umbrella tighter to escape the drizzle.

She grumbled; these were the kind of showers she hated. It wasn't enough to be considered a down pour, but certainly enough to annoy you and ruin your new dress.

As she trudged up the stairs to her house, she began to wonder what she would do. No missions, clearly no shopping was to be done at the market with such a rain, and the house had been cleaned-thousands of times over. It had her realizing that she had done everything already and nothing more was to be done.

"What to do?" She moaned to herself, already at her house and leaning on her window sill.

Smoothing her hands on her pink dress, she was constantly reminded of the fact that she was more than a single mom, but also a shinobi, which made the equation even harder than it was before. There were complications that came with being a shinobi, and there were some that came with being an only parent. But combined, it seemed to turn into a nightmare. She leaned onto her counter, hands pressed into her cheeks as she bent over to stare into the window.

What was she going to do?

The mission paid well, money wasn't a problem. Rei seemed overjoyed enough at her return, so Rei's happiness was out of the way too. But, Rei was more than just keeping her happy, she was a child, and she needed to be raised correctly too. And that was where Sakura seemed to begin running in circles. How should she raise Rei? Continue as she had been doing for the past five years, and raise her by herself, or should she seek……_outer help_?

Sakura wasn't thinking about outer help as in, the occasional baby-sitting from Naruto and Hinata, or asking Kakashi to bring Rei home from school, or if Tsunade wanted to teach Rei more about herbs. She was talking about outer help as in, finding a potential husband for herself or someone Rei could look up to as a father figure.

And on that note, Sakura whole-heartedly believed Sasuke was not fit for the job.

She frowned at that.

The last time she met Sasuke, he had tried to skewer her with an electric sword. And what hurt even more, is what they had done the previous night, something she regretted with most of her soul. Of course she loved Rei…but Rei didn't deserve to be brought into the world, only for her own father to try to kill her when she was defenseless as an unborn child. And after he betrayed the village, betrayed her, and now is only returning.

She scowled. How could Kakashi think he had changed? It didn't matter anyways; his past mistakes were enough for her to keep him away for another life time.

"That's it." She scowled at herself. "I need to get out of here and…do something."

…Sakura decided that she would do something else.

She couldn't stand this gloomy house and her gloomy thoughts anymore.

Patting down the stairs, in a rather civilian matter that reminded her of the time she would exhaust herself back when she was twelve to prove she was a ninja by running down the wall, she exited her apartment. Her pastel yellow umbrella burst open, and she shielded herself from the light drizzle. Walking in her sweater, pastel pink dress (which made her feel even more civilian, but she had nothing except for dresses and shinobi uniform) and sandals, she was beginning to get cold all over again. And this year, she had begun to speculate they'd actually have a late winter.

There weren't many people on the streets, but enough that Sakura didn't feel like the town was deserted. Well, Konoha was never deserted, especially in fall, when all those tourists come to snap pictures of the beautiful trees that encircle the city. Damn 'leafer's. All they did was crowd up the city and waste up resources without even paying taxes. She scuttled around a corner, until she reached a familiar coffee café.

This brought back unwanted memories.

The neon sign was still on, albeit half lit. It hadn't changed over the years, but there was now a little sign that told whether it was open or closed. Thank god. Back in the day, all twelve of them would hang about in this café, even Naruto, who would rather spend his time at Ichiraku eventually started to come here more often for quiet evenings with Hinata. Of course now, the rookie Gennin had moved on to take their place in history, only occasionally stopping by to have a cup of coffee.

The small rusty bell at the top of the door barely made a sound over the roar of people on the inside.

Sakura blinked. It got crowded over the years.

The little waitress was darting about the tables, now with another helper who was just as timid as she was. There was still only one person in the kitchen, laughing and talking to one of the customers. All the tables were full, and the entire room was bursting with life, most of the customers leafer's anyways. Sakura leaned against the wall, not sure if she should ask the waitress for service or not because she looked so preoccupied already.

"Oh!" The brunette waitress's head shot up as she caught sight of Sakura.

She hadn't changed much over the years; her hair was a little longer, but just as untidy. Poor girl, no matter how many times she tried to comb it, it never seemed to stop being so curly. She held onto the bottom of her plaid yellow uniform, and crunched the serving plate to her chest as she hurried over to the front of the store.

"Hello Sakura-san!" She panted. "I'm sorry, but none of the tables are open-

"It's okay." Sakura smiled. "I can wait."

"Well…if you want…there's still another table upstairs…but it's kinda small up there." The waitress added as an afterthought, blushing deeply.

Sakura's brows shot up. "Really? That's fine."

The waitress nodded, leading Sakura around a dozen or so tables crowded with people until they reached the end of the room, where the stairs were. They were old, made out of the same old glossy wood the rest of the flooring was made out of, spiraling up into the attic with only a thin spidery rail encircling it. Gulping, Sakura began her climb following the waitress, who seemed utterly frightened by the stairs too. They creaked, and the echo of people became a slow and steady noise in the background.

When Sakura reached the top of the seemingly never-ending staircase, she gaped in shock.

There were only two tables, the attic being a small circle room that was covered in floor-to-ceiling windows as the only think separating the small room from the outside. It was rather cold, and high up too, she had a perfect view of a stormy Hokage mountain from here. She would have loved this place, so quiet and tranquil even when the storm raged outside, if it hadn't been for one thing. There were two tables, both with one chair each.

And one of those tables was taken…

…

By Uchiha Sasuke.

Sakura's eyes widened. She hadn't noticed the server had already headed down back stairs, lightly dropping her menu down on her table and had quickly scurried away when she felt the enormous tension and shock that came from the both of them. Neither moved, Sasuke had been staring out the window, and was staring at Sakura from and angle. Sakura had her hand placed on the side of the wire rimmed chair, her mouth slightly open, eyes widened. Both seemed equally shocked to see each other, it was clearly written over their faces.

"Sasuke-san…" She said softly, trying to regain what little dignity she had.

He simply nodded his head, more out of second instinct than clear understanding.

As she sat down, she had a second mind to leave the room right now, whether she made a fool out of herself or not. But, the other part of her head reasoned not to. How old was she? Twenty-five. Well enough time to be able to become an adult. She was already Jounin, while most of the original rookies were still Chuunin, she could have been Hunter-nin too, but she had Rei and that was out of the question. And, she was a single mother, and going strong. There was no need to be afraid of Uchiha Sasuke.

Sasuke was…Sasuke. And right now, to Sakura, he seemed more like a little immature kid than he ever had in her eyes.

There was nothing to be afraid or nervous about. Regardless of past experiences.

"Fancy meeting you here." She hummed out, eyes not leaving her menu.

"Hn."

A smile spread over her lips. "You still do that? I thought you'd have grown out of it by now."

He frowned at that. Either way, it had been a long time since Sakura had heard that little nonchalant sigh that Sasuke did. Neji's just didn't compare.

"So you came back, huh?" She tried to start conversation. "I guess everything turned out the way you wanted it to."

He wanted to tell her no, that nothing came out the way he wanted it to. Revenge was supposed to be sweet, but after it boiled inside him for so many years, the end result just wasn't enough. Nothing satisfied him about killing off the last Uchiha. He was the only one left, and for some odd reason, it felt terrible. No, he frowned to himself; nothing had come out the way he wanted it to.

"I guess." He managed to pass through his lips.

Another silence; and the rain was heard roaring outside.

"Well Naruto had already told me you were here." She said evenly, watching the waitress trip over the stair, but successfully deliver her coffee. "I just didn't think we'd meet here."

"Hn."

She smiled wryly, a large Cheshire grin. "It's so funny, I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't be laughing, but I haven't heard that in a long time."

His eyes narrowed, and for some reason, Sakura suddenly felt that having a child had made her so much more mature than Sasuke.

"Don't get defensive." She sipped her coffee, blowing on it. "It reminds me of the good old times."

If the Gennin days could even be considered such-Sakura wasn't so sure anymore.

"It's been a long time." He remarked, staring out the window as if he didn't want to make eye contact.

"It has." She agreed.

The awkward silence that Sakura had tried to avoid, so perilously, had washed over them until she could here the wind roar against the old window pane. Until she could hear the wood creak underneath their feet, and the chatter that fell in the backdrop from down the stairs. She shifted her feet awkwardly, suddenly, the feeling that was once she thought good, felt bad. She felt like, she should be dressed like a ninja, like she was out of place in her fresco sundress, next to Sasuke's black high-collar shirt and fishnets. She hadn't even bothered to bring her shinobi sandals.

Watching Sasuke stare out the window, she realized that not much had changed. It was as if, Sasuke was stuck, stuck from the point he was seven years old on a fixated dream that he believed would bring him happiness. Idly, she wondered if he ever got his happiness, at all. And looking at him now, with his frown-set the same way for a whole twelve years since he's been here last.

She stared at the swirling coffee in her cup, deciding against staring at the Uchiha. She hadn't realized he was staring at her.

Her hair had definitely grown longer since their little 'escapade' when they were eighteen. It was long, and it was pushed over one small shoulder, as her vivid jade eyes stared into her cup. She didn't seem like a shinobi-he mused that she might be taking a break. She had such a nice upbeat pastel sundress on that he wondered if she had got dressed in the dark and hadn't realized it was storming outside.

Both looked up as there was a loud crash from upstairs.

Sakura was the first to jump out of her chair and run down the stairs, as if readily hopping to escape from the web of tension that had lain over the top room of the café. Sasuke followed, casually stepping out from his chair and calmly walking down.

He was approached with wild gasps from the center of the room, surprisingly they weren't gasping at him, but at something else entirely. There was a crowd shifting in a circle as if there was a stage of some sorts, he pushed his way in easily. He expected to see some beautiful singer or something doing a rope dance or something, but instead he saw a man with foam trailing down the edge of his mouth, and watering his white shirt. Not exactly what he had expected.

"Everyone move please!" He heard a soft voice, soft but loud.

Cherry blossom hair made its way to the center stage, she charged from behind him.

She dropped to the floor on her kneels; give him a delicious look at her creamy thighs. Her hands went immediately to check his pulse, one went to inspect for other things-he didn't know, and he wasn't a medic. He watched her as if she was a fallen angel, her brows furrowed as her hands pumped iridescent blue chakra around the man. Finally, she sighed in relief.

"He'll be fine." She breathed.

"Thank you!!!" A woman-probably in her thirties-erupted from the crowd, her heels clacking on the wood.

She dropped to her knees to hug Sakura desperately, who was surprisingly embarrassed. The woman whispered various variations of 'thank you' in her ear, as she tearfully wept in relief. Sakura could only comfort her by patting her back, wondering why she was still crying if her apparent husband was already saved. The audience around them clapped, and suddenly, Sasuke felt out of place.

As the audience cheered and he could hear Sakura laugh in embarrassment, he exited the café swiftly, no one noticing he was leaving in the commotion. It was better that way.

Sakura lifted her head, curious to see if Sasuke was still there. She didn't see his dark ashen eyes peering down at him with a cold sort of glare that only a human statue could posses. He must have left, she frowned, she wanted to ask him a rather important question about children too.

Speaking of children, she should probably be getting home now.

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It was a rainy day, the city taking on a rather dreary feel to it, but alas, Naruto still attended Ichiraku daily.

A steamed bowl of delicious and hot Miso Ramen was placed before him and, smiling, he snapped his chopsticks with an audible 'snap' to begin to partake in his meal when he felt the chair beside him shift. His creased eyes un-creased as he turned his head to see who was joining him. He thought perhaps it was Iruka-sensei, who was ready for winding down after grading thousands of twerps papers, or maybe Kakashi-sensei after a hard A-class mission of which Naruto would be _dying _to hear about.

Instead, he was met with a boy with ebony black hair, and rather sad and annoyed looking eyes.

"Sasuke-teme." He said simply, rather dazed.

The boy only nodded simply, he probably didn't even come here for ramen-hell, he hated ramen-but more to talk to Naruto.

"What's up your ass?" Naruto peered over the table to get a look at Sasuke's officially pissed off face.

"Shut the fuck up, dobe."

Naruto frowned. "Whatever it is, it's sideways."

He was slapped over the head from that comment. He chuckled easily. Comments slid off his back these days, he wasn't as annoyed when people called him names, he had learned that most were terms of endearment. Like, 'dobe' for instance. He wasn't much of a dobe anymore, but it was always nice to hear Sasuke say it, even if it was for old-times sake.

"So, seriously here, what's up?" Naruto had a sober look to his face.

"It's nothing." Was Sasuke's quick reply.

"It isn't nothing!" Naruto snapped. "It's bothering you."

Sasuke's head turned away.

"Teme!" Naruto whined childishly, prodding his ex-best-friend/friend with his chopstick.

Sasuke did nothing, even with Naruto's constant badgering.

Naruto blinked, as if he figured something out a bit too mature for his dobe brain. "You saw Sakura-chan today, didn't you?"

Sasuke froze, but said nothing.

"I knew it." Naruto whispered. "…What did you guys talk about?"

"Nothing." He answered simply. "We met on accident."

"I see." Naruto said around a mouthful of ramen. "So what else is bothering you?"

Sasuke seemed tight lipped. "Some political stuff."

"Politics?" Naruto echoed.

"What, is the council badgering you to have kids?" He joked easily, chuckling as he chugged more ramen.

Sasuke blinked. "How'd _you _know that?"

Naruto choked. "Whoa, for real?! I was just joking; I didn't think they'd actually do that!"

"Well they did." Sasuke muttered.

"What'd you say?" Naruto leaned in closer. "Do you want kids, or no kids?"

Sasuke blinked again, Naruto was really, really into this. He had to wonder why, somewhere in the back of his head. Why would Naruto be peering at him so intensely with his electric azure eyes like that?

"I don't know." He finished lamely. "I never thought about it."

"Don't give me that shit!" Naruto scowled. "You've been talking about kids since before you knew what sex was!"

"Well, I haven't thought about it recently." Sasuke intervened. "Thinking about kids when your twelve is different, thinking about it now is something else entirely."

"How so?"

"When I was twelve I didn't think of how hard it is to raise a kid, theirs finances, and schooling, and food, and caring, and all this other crap that goes into it." Sasuke pointed out. "I don't want to turn out like my father did, just abandoning me like that and always paying attention to my older brother."

"It's not _that _hard." Naruto rolled his eyes. "I mean, Sakura-chan does it-

Naruto froze.

He froze like a deer in headlights.

Sasuke froze.

He froze like a gaping fish.

It was almost automatic that Naruto wanted to kill himself, he really, really, really, _really_, wanted to kill himself, more for Sakura's sake that for his. His mind was turning so fast his skull would have got rug burn, think of an excuse.

"… … …" Sasuke couldn't seem to get his mind to work. It was broken. "S-Sakura?"

"S-Sakura?" Naruto sputtered. "Did I say that? Oh, sorry man, I meant Ramura-chan, you left before you could meet her."

A swell of relief rolled off of the Uchiha. "Ramura?"

"Err…yeah." Naruto stared over Sasuke's head. "She's one of the nurses Sakura-chan works with. Super hot too, that's why I got them mixed up. I always see her with Sakura-chan when ever I go, so I kinda got them mixed up. I really am a dobe, huh?"

When he say Naruto's eyes veer over his head in a wishy-washy pattern, he knew that Naruto was lying somewhere in his speech. He didn't know what, but there was something…off, about Naruto's explanation. He frowned, but he made sure not to let Naruto see, as he rambled on about how sexy this Ramura girl was, hourglass figure, yeah, whatever.

"That's great dobe, but I've got to go." Sasuke excused himself.

"O-Oh really?" Naruto leapt to his feet too. "I've got somewhere to go too."

"Ah." Sasuke said nothing more, as he walked down the street.

"Bye!" Naruto called over his shoulder.

_I've got to get to Sakura's house to tell her! _Naruto thought to himself.

Sasuke frowned. _I'm going to go to Sakura's house, I want to know if Naruto was lying or not._

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_What's going to happen??? Dun-Dun-Dun! Will Naruto make it first? Or will Sasuke find out about Rei?? Read! And hope that I don't get grounded again! (or my life skills teacher dies of a heart attack)_

_P.S-REVIEW!!! _


	5. E

_Oh! I know I made a cliffie, but what can I say? Don't worry, when I read, I hate them too! _

_Chapter E: Tori no Uta (have you heard this song? I love it!)_

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Naruto had absolutely no idea he could run so fast. It was as if somehow, he had gathered all of his energy to the base of his feet and lifted off, setting into the direction that lead to Sakura's house. He knew this was his fault, and it might be his guilt-laced system that made him run so fast, but either way, he had to fix this problem. And he also happened to realize that Sasuke was no lazy bum either. He was racing Sasuke, just like in the old days, but this time, there was more at stake.

As much as Naruto trusted Sasuke, he knew there was no way he was prepared for this.

It's not that he didn't think Sakura's little daughter deserved more-and Sakura knew it too. But…was Sasuke ready to be a parent? He hardly took care of himself, throwing away rotten food when he should have years ago, living scantly off of missions, bloody clothing in heaps around his laundry room. He'd make a horrible influence. And more importantly, Sakura would utterly _kill _him if they didn't cover this up. He'd betray her forever! His Sakura-chan would hate him until the day he died!

He surely didn't want that.

"SAKURA-CHAN!"

He hollered at the top of his lungs, swinging into her open kitchen window like Tarzan and ended up getting hit flat in the face with a frying pan. It hurt, of course. He missed it because his vision was heavily coated with stars, but he would have seen Sakura's utterly startled face as she lifted the frying pan from the sink only to watch Naruto slam himself into it from her window.

"Naruto?" She gasped.

"Good morning Sakura-chan…what time is it? I feel really dizzy."

"Of course!" She muttered to him, kneeling beside him. "What were you doing flying through my window anyways? I have a door, y'know."

"Don't worry." He assured her. "I know. But I've got really important news."

"Go on."

"I accidently messed up and told Sasuke you were a single parent and then I tried to cover it up saying it was someone else but I don't think it worked so then I ran over here and he's probably coming too and so you need to pretend you know this Ramura girl whose got a kid and is really, really hot and stuff…

Sakura blinked. "Uh…what?"

However, she received no answer.

"Naruto?" She called again, before sighing. "He's passed out…"

She was about to get some smelling salts from the cupboard when a knock on the door startled her. Rei was asleep in her room, too tired from today's latest game to even here the parading knock on the door. She looked up, removing her hands from the cabinet and suspiciously walking to the door.

Everyone she knew had signature knocks. Naruto knocked and screamed obnoxiously for her to open the door. Kakashi didn't even bother, nor did Sai; both of them came and went as they pleased. ANBU had very reserved taps, hardly even heard over the rummaging of her kitchen. But this one, it was unfamiliar. It made her wonder who exactly was at the door. Telemarketer? Perhaps.

"Hello, and I'm sorry but I'm not interested in anything you're selling-

She stopped abruptly, her gaze finally meeting a so called telemarketer. Said telemarketer had ashen black hair and a piercing gaze, not to mention a rather flushed face compared to the usual white blankness. Uchiha Sasuke. And he must have ran all the way to her house judging from the way he slightly panted and how his hair was ruffled up like he had been running in the wind.

"Oh! Hello…Sasuke." To say she hoped to god Rei didn't come barging in was an understatement.

"Hn."

She moved aside to let him in, but he said nothing, only walked past her and studied the room. She felt a bit like he was intrusive, but she said nothing, only wondered if this has something to do with Naruto's raced speech. He gave a swift look around her apartment and she vaguely wondered if he was inspected how it looked. Frowning, she softly closed the door.

"Sakura..."

"Yes?" She looked over to him.

He wouldn't make eye contact. "Do you happen to know a Ramura?"

"Ramura?" She echoed softly.

"Yes."

She pondered for a moment…why did the name sound familiar? She decided that she might as well lie about it, whatever Sasuke was asking for, she had a feeling it wasn't good.

"Yes, I do." Curiously, she waited to look at his expression, oddly, he looked relieved. "Why? Do you want something with her?"

"No, no." He shook his head. "Never mind."

"Wha-ah-

Before she knew it, or before she could question him why he barreled up eighteen blocks of street to ask her about some Ramura girl that she was pretty sure Naruto for-warned her about, he left her apartment. Quizzically wondering what his problem was, she peered down the stair well to realize that he was already gone. She shouldn't have been so surprised; after all, he was a ninja. Sighing, she shot her door softly to suddenly jump and see her daughter eyeing her cautiously.

"Whoa!" She jumped back, startled. "When did you wake up?"

Her little girl said nothing, eyeing Naruto's lump form, prodding it was a fork from the sink. "Is he dead?"

"Of course not!" She prompted. "He's knocked out."

"Why's Uncle Naruto knocked out in our kitchen?"

She really couldn't give that a straight answer. "It's…complications."

"Ninja stuff?" Rei looked up.

"Yes, sorta like that."

She pouted, sitting herself onto the stool. "No fair. All the cool stuff is always ninja stuff."

Sakura smiled blithely at her daughter, rubbing the back of the little girl's head. "Well, maybe that's because ninja are cool."

"Yes!" Rei agreed. "Ninja are super cool! That's why I want to be a ninja when I grow up!"

She only nodded her head after that, having no intentions of listening to an over long drawl about super cool and amazing ninja powers. Sakura had better and worse things to think about. Like, for a great example, the reason why Naruto was knocked out on her kitchen floor. And a little more elaborate then, 'ninja stuff'. When he woke up, she was going to get to the bottom of this.

It sounded like a plan.

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After a belated explanation from a half awake Naruto, she finally realized what exactly had happened. To say she was pissed would certainly be an understatement, but nonetheless, she was happy that he rushed over to tell her before Sasuke got a lead on Rei. Which was exactly what she has been planning on keeping secret for the remainder of his stay in Konoha.

"Okay Naruto, I understand." She reprimanded him. "Just don't do it again."

"I promise!" He held up his hands in mock surrender.

She sent him a smile, opening the door for him to leave. "Say hello to Hinata-chan for me, okay?" She called over his shoulder.

He nodded, waving behind him until he disappeared down the stairs.

She stared at the stairs in a sort of thoughtful way for another few moments, her thoughts varying in size and stress. It wasn't until she heard the banging of a clumsy child making its way through the hallway did she turn around. Her little daughter was struggling to put on her adorable pink rain boots with hearts. Her hair, thankfully, was not a rat's nest today, streaming down her back in black strands, contrasting with her pink dress.

Sakura smiled. "You wore the outfit I bought you!"

"Of course!" Rei snorted. "I'm gonna go play in the puddles with Taro-kun."

Sakura smiled slyly. "Taro-_kun_?"

"W-Well I-" Her daughter blushed profusely, ducking her way out the door.

"Be back before sunset!" She called after her daughter, who was already making her way down the stairs loudly.

She took the loud "Hn" her daughter said on her way down as a "yes", and left it at that. Shutting the door softly, she walked into her house again, realizing she had nothing to do. Looking at her shinobi weapons hanging on the back of her door, she wondered if maybe she could pass the time some other way than the normal house-wife cleaning routine that she had been doing for the past week or so she'd been back in Konoha.

"I wonder if Tsunade needs any help at the hospital…" She thought in her head, opening the door again and transporting herself to the hospital.

…The hospital was abuzz.

She was rather delighted to see that an ANBU team had made it back, most not too severely injured, but it looked like they would need some help for the next hour or so until Rei came home from her little play date with her Taro-'kun'. Giggling, she waltzed up to the front desk. Waving politely to the secretary of the hospital, she made her way to the back room to change into some hospital clothes.

Standard requirements were simply scrubs, or for doctors, a rather conservative doctors coat. Slipping in to the uniform, she found herself in the room she knew Tsunade was in.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Don't put the IV drip _there_!!"

Yes, that was Tsunade.

"Worthless little-

"Good afternoon, Tsunade-shishou."

Her teacher dropped from almost throttling the helpless new intern, her eyes brightening at Sakura's familiar voice. Of course, the moment the eyes widened was the moment they narrowed over again, the fingers around the intern's neck dropping and the poor thing dropped to the floor.

"Sakura! How nice of you to join us!" She smiled sweetly. "Not that you have a choice anymore, but would you mind going into room 83 to check on the ANBU member waiting service there?"

"Of course." She swiftly made haste in exiting the room as Tsunade once again began to reprimand the interns.

Room 83 was closer than she had expected, and she nearly missed it after doing a double take. It was a quiet room, no IV drip, no beeping of monitors, not men howling in pain for small little wounds. In fact, if she hadn't looked at the man plopped on the bed she wouldn't have realized there was a patient in her at all.

The man in question was leaning over the bed, head on his hand, bleeding, but not like rivers trickling down his legs. There was an ice pack pressed against his head as he read one of the horrible cliché love poems tapered to the wall, there was one in every room, just for decoration. And it gave the kindergarteners that made it great satisfaction to know that ANBU everywhere were reading it was they recovered from life-threatening injuries.

She blinked in surprise.

"Neji?"

Said Hyuga looked away from the wall, the ice pack shifting on his bruised head. "Sakura-san?"

She smiled politely. "So you were on the ANBU team that just got back?"

"So you've arrived back from your mission?" He fired right back at her.

At least she could count on Neji to have great conversation skills. It always got her mind working and the stress of her head.

"So, anything in particular hurting?"

He pointed to his head wryly. "And my ankle's sprained."

"You got off unscathed didn't you?" She rolled her eyes, bending down to look at his leg.

It was at this point that it usually got a little too awkward to bare, with her kneeling over to look and the patient just kind of staring over trying to pretend that everything will be over in a few minutes and he can leave with his dignity and pride half intact. But it was also probably the point she should strike up some sort of small talk.

"Isn't tomorrow yours and TenTen's anniversary?" She wondered aloud. They had been dating for a rather long time.

He nodded. "Yeah, it is."

"Have anything nice to say?"

He coughed. _"Roses are red; Violets are blue; do you love me? Because I love you."_

Sakura stopped abruptly from her work, eying Neji with an air of disdain. "Stealing from Kindergartener's? I don't think TenTen will be very appreciative."

He shrugged. "They're the ones plastering their work around in hospitals for all the ANBU who are just waiting for something cliché to say to their girlfriends waiting at home."

"You're horrible, you know that?"

"So I've been told."

She patted his knee, in more of a friendly manner than anything else. He wasn't a kid, and needed no real form of reassurance. Shifting the ice pack once again, he stood up, smiling slightly she stopped kneeling too, taking time to look at the adorable little picture drawn with the poem.

"Take care not to get too badly injured okay?" She called after him, eyes not leaving the picture.

She heard a 'hn', but nothing else.

The picture was a small little blue flower, the background was blue, and the words were written in blue. The child must be obsessed with blue. Like someone she knew. Her eyes trailed to the bottom, where in sloppy letters, there was a name written. She leaned in closer, trying to read the sloppy mismatched letters.

"Ha-ru-no…. Re-i…." Her mind was yet to figure the pieces yet. "Haruno Rei?!"

She sprinted out of the room, swinging herself on the door way.

"You can't steal that!" She shouted to Neji, who was already half way down the hall.

He looked over his shoulder casually. "Why not?"

"That's my daughter's!!"

He shrugged in a distant manner. "Oh well."

"I thought _you _were supposed to be the go-to guy for gardening and poems and all that sappy stuff!"

Neji was no longer listening though, already making his way down the stairs, probably with a smug smile plastered on his face. Grumbling, Sakura marched down the hallways, nearly tearing down the door as she made her way to the locker rooms. The other nurses looked on fearfully, as if they didn't want to get near Sakura, who looked like she was about to blow.

"Sakura, where are you going?"

She turned around, her shirt half way up her head. "Shishou?"

Tsunade grunted in response. "Where are you going?"

"I'm in a hurry." She slipped on her other shirt. "I need to pick up Rei from her play date."

The Hokage's eyes softened, as she turned to the other nurses in the locker room. "Well, you heard the girl! You're going to have to work in her place!"

There was a collective groan from the other people in the room, as they begrudgingly went out, fearing the loud voice of the Hokage and how much of it would be aimed at them. Tsunade turned slowly to face Sakura, a rather grim smile set on her face as Sakura had her clothes back on.

"You better go and get her then."

It may have come out like disdain, but Sakura was sure that Tsunade didn't mean it like that. Nodding slowly, she left the hospital through the grand double doors in the front. She hoped Rei had a good time splashing around in the puddles, she was going to have to talk to her about that horrible reading grade she had. Iruka seemed very concerned that she was too busy socializing and would never be a good ninja. Sadly for said Chuunin, he was yet to realize that ninja skills had been already imprinted in her blood.

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"I'm not having any kids."

It was a final decision on his part, and he had no intentions of changing it. Uchiha Sasuke was not about to be swayed by the judging of a few old batty men. They all held grave faces as they locked gazes with them, most however brought their eyes to the floor, unable to withhold the fiery anger within his eyes.

"But Uchiha-san," One spoke up. "You have to understand, we _need _more Uchiha."

"And you being the last of your lineage; will have to make up for lost members." Another added.

"I don't think you get what I'm saying." He growled. "I'm not having any kids. And it's against the law to force me either."

"We aren't forcing you." An old man chided. "We simply are…urging you to at least give someone a chance."

One coughed. "There are many great ninja in this village who would love the chance to wed into the Uchiha family."

"Of course, I'm sure Ami-san would love to help you."

"Oh yes, she's a great ninja."

"Already Chuunin." Another supplied helpfully.

"And Ami is very gentle hearted."

Gentle hearted?

An image flashed through his mind.

It was Sakura, in her Chuunin outfit in the middle of a golden field of wheat somewhere in Grass Country. She was smiling at him through her tears, but he hadn't paid any attention to that then. He knew why she was crying, because of him, still, he flung kunai at her, they missed, but it hurt her more than physical wounds-

_Dammit._ He frowned at the thought.

Why did it have to come now?

"My decision in final." He said coldly, eyes narrowing. "I have no intention of having kids, now, or ever."

With that, he left the conference room, which had turned into more of a sputtering contest. He knew he was in no situation to piss of the elders, but when it came to the rather sore subject to of offspring and marriage, he always got stingy with it. There was no one he wanted to get married to. No one. He already knew Sakura was out of the question, in was pure amazement that she even still talked to him.

Of course, he wouldn't mind seeing Sakura with an Uchiha fan but-

"Great." He muttered to himself. "Now she's not getting out of my head."

He walked through the dusty streets of Konoha's back roads, not paying much mind to the grassy fields of vegetables and the small fish moats. He never truly understood Sakura, who always smiled, and always put an effort with him. He just didn't get her, and doubted he ever really would.

Sakura was just so complicated he didn't dare try to figure it out.

"SASUKE-TEME!"

He turned around abruptly, watching as dust clouds road to the sky, erupting form an orange ninja's feet.

"Dobe." He acknowledged

"Don't call me that."

They both knew it was just a running joke though.

"What's with the glum face?" Naruto asked curiously.

Sasuke clammed up. "Nothing."

"Sasuke," Naruto frowned. "What did I tell you about being a clam-?

"Naruto, do you like it when the council pesters you? No. Neither do I."

"Eh?" To say Naruto was confused would be an understatement. "Wha-Huh-OH!"

It clicked.

"What're they asking you to have sex?" Naruto's bluntness never seemed to fail him.

"Yes, something like that."

He scrunched his nose. "Oh, gross."

Naruto seemed to always be a prude.

"Hn."

The walked on in silence, Naruto clasping his hands around his head, whistling as he plodded alongside a sullen Sasuke. It was odd for him, to always see Sasuke in such deep thought, but at the same time, he was rather curious as to why Sasuke was so upset. Well, he meant, it was just kids, right? What's the big deal? He really didn't understand.

"Well," The blonde started sheepishly. "I guess I better take off, Obaa-chan wants me to do another one of those crummy D-Class missions."

"Hn."

Taking that as an okay, Naruto disappeared from sight.

…

Truthfully, Naruto didn't have any mission from the Old hag Tsunade, but, however, there was a certain kind of fear that welled in the pit of his stomach, curling around as if it was literally eating him alive, that kept him from talking and chitchatting aimlessly with Sasuke. It was like the kind of fear that acted all on its own, taunting him in the back of his mind, like a feral animal clawing at his mind.

_What will happen to Sakura?_

He clenched his eyes, running over building tops aimlessly. What was he going to tell Sakura? Oh yeah, you know Sasuke just happens to have a kid-phobia, so he's going to hate Rei for the rest of his life regardless of whether he thinks she's nice. No…that's too harsh. I'm sorry Sakura, I don't know how to tell you this, but Sasuke doesn't want any kids. No…too forward.

"This is so confusing!!" He gripped his head, nearly tripping over a rooftop.

"Naruto? What's wrong?"

He turned around, startled anyone got under his guard. However, it wasn't just anyone, it was Sakura. Really, the one person he just didn't want to see right now. Her pink hair framing her face perfectly as she peered at him from out her kitchen window. Big jade eyes sparkling under black eyelashes as she looked at him questioningly. He couldn't lie to those eyes, ever.

"Sakura I…" He started, but he couldn't get the words out of his mouth. "I-

"What's wrong?" She climbed up, soothing his back gently.

"I-I just found out." He closed his eyes in shame. "I'm so sorry Sakura, but...

"But?" She echoed.

He took a deep breath. "Sasuke doesn't want any kids."

She stood up startled, a look of hurt flashing through those beautiful viridian eyes, before they blinked slowly, shadows falling over her pale cheeks. Sakura looked beautiful, devastatingly so, as she attempted to recover her dignity, smoothing a hand over her hair. When her eyes opened, there was anger, flames. He wondered what was running through her mind.

"I'll see you soon, okay?" She called over her shoulder, leaping from her building. "Rei's asleep, please take care of her!"

"Wha-Huh?" He tried to yell after her, but found that she was gone.

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"You!" She hissed.

Sasuke, surprised that he recognized the voice so easily, whirled around. "Sakura-?

Her eyes. Her beautiful eyes, in their stunning glory. They danced around like flames, so angered he wondered what he did. He was taken aback. Sasuke was rarely taken aback. She had the look of a women scorned, and Neji had told him time and time over, "There's nothing like revenge that a woman scorned." Great.

"I don't believe you!" She virtually spat at him, hands clenched at her fists.

"What?" Really, he didn't understand why she was so mad.

Sakura, being Sakura, always calm and considerate, took a deep breath and tried her hardest to see it from Sasuke's eyes. She couldn't, pictures of Rei's little smile flashing through her heads in mismatched ways, how the little girl would constantly wish for her father, staring out the window to the Konoha gate and beyond. It was her dream, her little girl's dream to find her father.

"_I'll be a ninja one day, and I'll find Tou-chan for you!"_

Her soft voice rang through her ears.

It almost brought tears to her eyes.

"Why, why would you say something like that?" She whispered.

Sasuke didn't know what was worse, a sad Sakura, looking as she did now, or the fiery temper of the other one. He found it so much easier to deal with her when she was angry, it was an emotion he knew well, but the melancholy in her eyes could only remind him of all the stupid things he seemed to do in her life.

"Say what?"

"Don't you know all along?! That you already have a-

She stopped herself, her eyes the size of dining saucers. Carefully, she placed a delicate pale hand over her pink lips, closing her eyes, and her eyelashes created dark shadows over her cheeks.

"I have a what?" He was interested. "What?"

"Nothing."

She shook her head.

"It's nothing."

Before he could question her-because he would, if she just would stop running away from him- she had already ran back, turning the corner into a street. He tore after her, swinging himself around the corner to realize that she was already gone. She must have used a Shunshin. Growling at himself. He scanned the area just in case she ran up one of the buildings. Nothing.

"Dammit." He frowned, running a hand through his obsidian hair.

He'd get to the bottom of this stupid mystery, whether Sakura wanted him to or not.

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_Another chapter finished, late, but not as late as the other chapter. I was watching Air, I played the game while I was in Japan for Vacation, but, I didn't really get the point. I really love the opening though, the Sky is one of my favorite things in the world, so I was really impressed by the sky shots they had. _

_::review would you? I might not be able to reply all time, but I love to hear what you have to say!::_


	6. S

_So, I didn't leave a Cliff Hanger last time, and I felt bad that there have been a lot of those lately, so I decided to put a very BIG chunk of plot in this one, that was supposed to go in the next chapter. Cuz' y'know, it's a snow day! I love them_

_Hapless Lovers:S:Blackout_

_(don't you love Asian-Kung Fu Generation? I am rabid)_

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Sasuke was the kind of person that didn't like secrets kept from him, ever. And that was one of the many facts that Sakura already knew about him. Which had brought her to the conclusion that it wouldn't be soon before Sasuke would find Rei. And that idea only seemed to get worse and worse. And by the time Sakura had reached Kakashi's house, she had butterflies fluttering about her stomach. It must have been eleven or so, Tuesday morning, three days after it happened; that she brought herself to this point.

She knocked twice.

"Oh, Sakura dear! Are you alright? You look blue-

What was her name, the lady harping over her? She couldn't remember, but she did remember the little blue flowers at the bottom of the wedding invitation she got, and the pretty lavender dresses that all the bride's maids wore.

"Is Kakashi here?" She cut in bluntly.

The woman looked around. "Oh, somewhere, I'm not entirely sure though…

"It's okay; I think I know where he is." Sakura simply waved her off, exiting the house and leaping up to the roof top.

"Hey Kakashi-sensei," She called over to him, as he sunned himself reading a book. "I knew you were up here."

"Sakura!" He said in mock surprise. "Why such a blue face?"

She grimaced. Was it that noticeable? Sakura hoped not. She set herself next to him, watching the sun as it reached its peak. She didn't understand anything these days, so hopefully Kakashi will.

"I don't know what to do…" She moaned, her head falling onto her knees.

Kakashi simply flipped a page in his book. "I really don't know how to console you, or anyone for that matter, so I don't think you should be asking me this."

"I don't know who else to ask." She told him flippantly. "My friends-their great and all…but they just don't understand. Naruto's too much of a block-head, and I doubt Tsunade-shishou has time to deal with my love life."

Her old teacher (technically still teacher but…) only smiled apologetically, or what she thought he was doing judging by his eye.

"Well, what happened now?"

"I've got this horrible feeling," Sakura started. "That Sasuke is going to figure out _everything_, and all that I've strive to preserve will be crushed somewhere in the process."

"Angst."

Sakura frowned miserably. "I know."

There was silence, as Sakura fiddled with her hair and Kakashi stared into the distance over his book, contemplating what she had just told him. Not an awkward silence, but, it surely wasn't comforting with the thoughts swishing in her head like a goldfish in an aquarium.

"I know you'll find some answer." He said eventually, flipping a page in his books as his eye wandered back to it. "You always do."

She sighed, for the umpteenth time that day. "I hope you're right."

Really, the only thing she could hope for was that Sasuke found out in the most promising situation possible.

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Sneezing in a row, Sasuke lifted his hand daintily to his nose to make sure he wasn't about to start hacking blood. Once his hand met contact with his now sniffling nose, he recoiled it back to check for signs of sickness only to realize nothing was actually wrong.

How strange.

_ACHOO! _

Three times now.

Sasuke was starting to get nervous.

The last time he had sneezed must have been at least eight months prior, wandering around snow country, lagging behind Karin and Juugo as they bantered on about something he hadn't particularly cared about. And afterwards, there was a late run in with an Akatsuki spy which led him three steps closer to his brother.

Well, either way, sneezing was not exactly a good sign to him.

"Oi! Sasuke-teme!"

Already fully aware of the loud-mouthed idiot behind him, Sasuke forcefully trudged his feet to greet the boy.

"Hn."

"What the hell was that for-

Naruto stopped; a questioning look on his face. "Are you okay? You look flushed."

"Never better." He quipped, spinning around before Naruto could fully scrutinize him.

It wasn't in his best efforts though, apparently.

"Are you sure?" Naruto swiveled around, catching Sasuke's forehead in his hand. "Holy shit you're burning up!"

"No I'm not!" Sasuke pushed the hand away. "I'm just a little warm."

Naruto blinked incredulously.

"…I guess that's what you get for wearing such little clothing in the middle of fall, huh?"

Grunting, Sasuke pushed forward. He didn't have anywhere particular he wanted to go; he was just walking around the city in boredom. However, he could easily come up with a place spur-of-the-moment if he had to get Naruto off his trail. Said blonde was still plodding along beside him, still looking miffed that he wouldn't tell him what's going on.

"So…" Naruto trailed off. "Seen Sakura around lately?"

Sasuke blinked. He didn't think Naruto would ask that.

"Not…really." He struggled to get the words out. Yes, he should have said, and she blew up at me and nearly told me something just _know_ is important!

"Ah."

Silence, in all its awkward tension, enveloped them.

"Did she…"

Naruto struggled, fidgeting around desperately as they walked. "Did she…say anything?"

Sasuke blinked. What was he talking about?

"Anything…" Naruto looked at him with a light he'd never seen in those blue eyes. "Anything at all?"

For a second, Sasuke thought Naruto looked a bit, hopeful? Almost as if he was hoping Sakura told him something, almost as if he was edging Sasuke on in this mystery, with his eyes, telling Sasuke that something wasn't right here. That there was something Sasuke needed to figure out, that Naruto couldn't tell him with words. His eyes widened a bit, realization washing over him.

With his new found resolution, he decided it was time to do something.

"Naruto I think…I think I'm feeling a bit sick. I'm gonna go to the hospital and get checked out."

He hoped his idea would work.

"Really?!" Naruto's eyes glimmered. "I'll come with you!"

Never mind for that.

"I think I'm okay enough to go by myself-

"Nonsense!" Naruto was so cheery. "And here I thought you were going to be stubborn and wait until you had pneumonia to go! I'm coming with you!"

"Baka…" Sasuke grumbled under his breath, but nonetheless, followed the blubbering blonde all the way through the maze streets of Konoha to the hospital, standing proud and tall the way I had all those years ago. The water tanks at the top had been replaced already, and he found himself reminiscing at them until he nearly hit himself on the double sliding doors.

"Hello!" A young secretary greeted them. "For whom would you like to have an appointment for?"

Naruto smiled. "Oh, my friend needs a good check up, hasn't gotten one recently and-

Tuning the blonde out, he wandered around the hospital waiting room. There weren't too many people, little kids much too young to know about him, and teenagers who looked like civilians who wouldn't know who he was either. The faint waft of elevator music encircling the room. Okay, enough was enough. Looking to make sure Naruto was still lightly flirting with the girl, more out of humor than anything else, Sasuke whisked out of the double doors.

However, the beginnings of his problems were just beginning.

"Mister! Mister! Help!"

A little boy came running up to him, not even Gennin, but from the looks of his scruffy hair and clothes, a ninja-to-be.

The boy didn't leave him any time to react, swiftly grasping his hand in his and sprinting as fast as he could to the other side of the large building, into the small clumps of trees where children usually play. Once arrived, there was another boy, he looked familiar-Taro, maybe?-and a girl crying, holding her eyes, blood seeping through her fingers.

He blinked.

"What happened?"

He refrained from language, probably not the best idea here.

The boy-Taro-shook his head. "We don't know Uchiha-san. She was playing catch with us and-

"It's all my fault." The boy who dragged him here confessed. "I tried to throw the ball really fast. It was really fast too! But, she wasn't looking, and it almost hit her in the face! But then-but then…she…something with her eyes…"

With a look to the black-haired girl, holding her eyes, blood on her hands, he looked back to the boy. "What about her eyes?"

"I dunno!" The boy confessed. "They turned all red and stuff. She moved so fast! Not like blood-like just red. And there were like black fish swimming in her eyes. They kinda looked like fish, like, comma fish or something…

The little boy was at loss on how to describe it, Taro pitching in too, but he got most of it.

Those weren't comma fish. Those were tomoe.

_Which meant-_

His eyes swerved back to the girl, eyes widening.

_Which meant-_

He wasn't even thinking, rushing to the girl and plopping onto his knees, slowly, with comforting words spilling out of his mouth in an attempt for the ordeal to go faster, prying her hands away from her eyes with his. He was so anxious, peering at the girl who was yet to open her eyes, thick black eye lashes clumped with blood that streamed down her round, flushed cheeks.

And then they opened.

_Which meant the Sharingan._

Realization hit him like the fresh scent of blood. This girl was an Uchiha.

It shouldn't have surprised him, he should have known better. The pale skin, alabaster, just like his. Long wispy black hair that fell around down her shoulders like a black halo. A toothy grin that often reminded him of his very own mother. Yes, he should've known, especially with those eyes…

But, Rei didn't have obsidian black eyes, did she?

Sasuke stood up, the most realizing look on his face.

Rei had very pretty green eyes. Smoldering. Like someone's-

It was sudden and abrupt, as he ordered the two other children to take her to the hospital immediately. He told them it wasn't anything serious, just a blood line limit erupting that probably should get checked-and put into the records, but he didn't say that- and they shouldn't irritate her eyes like that anymore. Just reminders; and his heart wasn't in it. Not that it was in much these days.

There was only one thought clouding his judgment.

_Sakura_

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sakura looked to the sky, her nose tingling. And then, as if it had suddenly become allergy season, she-

_ACHOO!_

-sneezed.

Ino, beside her, sent her a worried look, blonde hair falling over her shoulder.

"You shouldn't get sick Sakura-chan, that's bad for your health!"

Sakura smiled wryly. "You're starting to sound like Hinata."

Ino shot her a look. "I'm not that bad. I'm just saying, we just got you, no point in losing you from something we can prevent, y'know?"

"I know."

Ino, as utterly pig-headed and imprudent as she may be, was everything Sakura liked in friends. She could be a little bossy, but that was what made Ino, well, Ino. Especially now, with her arms crossed and her blue eyes closed in a 'huff', her nose turned up as she walked backwards, in front of Sakura.

"So," Sakura changed tact smartly. "What are we doing today?"

Ino pondered. "Well, Tsunade-sama wants me to help in the hospital today, and we both know how much of a bookworm you are, I'm sure you're just _itching _for the next medical phenomenon, nothing to do with the _hot, sexy _ANBU waiting for us, _shirtless._"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Now what would Shikamaru say to that?"

"Nothing!" Ino grounded out, face mixing into a scowl. "I have this odd feeling that he's developing a crush on that Suna girl that came two days ago! You know, the one with four pig-tails? Seriously, who wears _four_ of them? Aren't two bad enough-

Sakura wasn't listening, as the hospital closed into view and there seemed to be a mishap of havoc streaming along the edges. People crowding around, wondering what this mess was all about. Ino had stopped her babbling to peer at the scene too, gossip senses probably tingling. They walked together in a kind of silence that was more curious than it was awkward.

"Excuse me," Sakura looked the hospital worker in the eye. She didn't know this one. "What's going on here?"

It didn't take a shinobi to notice the many famous political figures crowding around the hospital building. Among them, council members, many of them hovering around the entrance.

There were some nurses out too, chatting conversationally with the old council members, many being very polite.

"Huh?" The nurse turned around, from writing something. "I'm afraid that's classified, I can't tell you."

Sakura scowled.

Did this girl know who she was talking too?

She tried again. "My names Haruno Sakura, I work here, and I'm beginning to wonder what's going on."

The nurse gasped.

"Sakura Haruno?!" She looked so shocked Ino stifled laughter. "I'm-I'm very sorry ma'am, I'll get you upstairs right away."

However, as Sakura and Ino curiously moved through the crowd, entering the large sliding doors to a blast of air conditioning, the realized they weren't going to the normal floor where big accidents happen. They were taken to the children's ward. It made Sakura's heart throb painfully.

"The children's ward?" Ino whispered curiously. "Why would we go here?"

Sakura shook her head. "I have no idea."

The nurse in front of them said absolutely nothing; make her way through maze like corridors without so much as a bat of an eye. She must be a children's nurse that must be why she didn't know who Sakura was. Surprisingly, they weren't taken to the critical section, but to the recovery section.

There was a yellow tape, thousands of reporters with flashing cameras as they came to the yellow tape. The nurse, who scowled at them, pointed noiselessly to the sign that said no pictures allowed, no photographers allowed'. That wasn't there a few days ago, it must be new.

The nurse let them pass, and Sakura shot a weary look to the reporters.

Just what was going on here?

She was about to find out.

…

"Sakura? Are you alright?" Ino casted a look worriedly.

She nodded, a bit lifelessly.

…

…

The door was a bit open, voices could be heard.

…

Sakura got the shock of her life.

Inside, were three people she hadn't ever thought she'd see in the same room. The nurse that led them so diligently through the hallways had whisked away carefully, as if to not draw attention to herself. Ino gasped softly, her eyes set on the scene before them, certainly not as dead set as Sakura's however. The blonde sent a wary look to her friend, almost immediately worried for her.

Sakura, however, was unmoving.

Her beautiful jade eyes covered half lidded with thick long flutter eye lashes, making spiky shadows over pale cheeks. Her pale pink lips open in a slight part, almost like an, 'o' as she read the situation very carefully. Her features weren't as Ino had suspected, they were calm and almost reassuring. Not the anger she had suspected.

"Tsunade-shishou."

Her voice was soft and elegant.

The child on the bed looked up, her eyes were bandaged.

Next to the bed, the Uchiha who was in deep thought looked up, confusion etched.

Tsunade saw her too, as she wrote down on soft paper.

Sakura, in the door frame.

"Hai?"

A fallen angel.

…

…

Silence.

The girl on the bed jumped. "Oka-chan!"

Sasuke blinked. "Wha-

Rei had launched out of her bed, her small thin legs swinging over the edge, and was about to make a sprint to her mother when the Hokage caught her.

"Rei-chan," She said softly. "It's not a good idea to run."

"B-B-But!-

The child struggled, but Sakura decided that if her teacher thought it was best for Rei not to go running around-and she did too-blind folded and with hurt eyes, then Sakura wasn't about to disagree. She walked closer, valiantly ignoring the Uchiha who was currently shocked.

"Its okay, Rei-chan." Sakura smiled, hugging her child close. "I'm right here."

The little girl sniffled. "I-I was so scared! Taro-kun and Yatsu-chan were all screaming and I didn't know what was going on! They said something was wrong with my eyes…"

Sakura looked up, thoroughly alarmed from her daughter's cries and wails about her adventures. She sent an alarming look that swept from Sasuke to Tsunade, who didn't meet her gaze. Her teacher only sat pleasantly in the stool, writing down some things on the paper. Conditions, medicines, but Sakura wasn't paying attention to that.

"What happened?" Sakura whispered, horrified.

The question went unanswered.

Just the scratch of the pen.

"What happened to Rei's eyes?"

Said girl in question was too busy hugging her mother's shoulders, as she was bent down already to her height-to notice what was going on. The shroud of utter silence and tension that was only interrupted by her sniffles that actually made it even tenser in the atmosphere.

Tsunade coughed lightly, finally looking up from her writing to smack a quick glare to both of the parents before she continued.

"The Sharingan-

Sakura gasped.

"-has manifested in Rei, it's a bit unorthodox, but we've decided to keep her blind-folded for the time being until they stop bleeding."

If it had been any other situation, like, maybe Rei had a concussion or something, she would have been ushering Sasuke out of the room, none too gently. However, Sakura really didn't know much else about the Sharingan other than the basics, so, remorsefully, she knew she'd have to ask.

"Is this…normal?" She looked at Sasuke weakly.

The boy-no man, didn't seem to have his thoughts exactly straightened out. It took a while before he blinked out of his musings, shaking his head.

"I don't know."

So much for that.

"Well," She bit her lip. "Could you look around? I'm sure they've got something in the Uchiha Compound about it."

He nodded wordlessly. A promise. One of the few he'd ever made in his life.

"Thanks." She whispered, as if on the verge of tears.

Silence.

Ino found herself awkwardly hanging on the door.

"Shishou," Sakura started over again. "Is there anything I should do? Medicine, care?"

Tsunade shook her head. "Just try not to shove any light near her eyes, and keep the blindfold on until we know her eyes are fine."

Sakura nodded slightly.

Ino decided it was about time she and Sakura got out of there. "C'mon Sakura, let's go back to your place, 'kay?"

Standing up, and holding her daughter's hand-Rei wouldn't know where she was going otherwise-they made their way out of the hospital room. Tsunade didn't say anything else, a rather amused look on her face as she re-read her notes, probably documenting this.

Rei…Sharingan…Sakura…

When could this have happened? His brows met, as he tried to think back on a time………right. That time. In Grass country. One of the last times she had seen him. Almost five years ago.

Was it…was she pregnant back then? And he had thrown _knives _at her and she was pregnant?! He berated her for being slow and weak…and…and… How could he have been so _stupid_!?

"Have anything to say, Uchiha?" Tsunade spoke.

Sasuke was knocked out of his thoughts.

Yes, he'd liked to have said, I have many.

"I'm not sure." He ended up stuttering out. "I don't…I can't…"

"Can't handle children?" Tsunade looked at him, as if trying to be helpful. Sasuke figured she was sending him on a guilt trip. "Don't want them?"

"Not that!" He hissed.

Tsunade raised a brow.

"I just…- He looked away –I'm just not sure how to handle this."

Nothing was said. Sasuke didn't want her pity. Tsunade didn't offer any. Nor did she offer any suggestions or answers. She just, simply, asked questions.

"Well figure something out."

A bit harsh, yes, but it was Tsunade, that was common behavior. The Hokage got up from her seat, walking out on the frozen Uchiha, calling for a nurse to clean the room and get the 'god damn reporters' out of there. She also yelled something about 'leafer's crowding up their city already.

She was right though.

He'd have to figure _something _out.

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_He'd better figure something out, shouldn't he? Hee-hee The next one, like Hapless Romantics, will be an Omake, written by someone else probably. You know, the Bonus S chapter in stuff. So, sorry, you'll have to wait until 'L' for the actual plot. _


	7. S:Omake Interlude

_ClestailPrincess_

_Sakura and Sasuke and Rei_

_558 words_

_Disclaimer: Naruto is Masashi Kishimoto's © and Hapless Lovers is FruitsandCandy's ©_

_---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

Sakura had woken to an empty bed.

Ashen colored sheets left bare, the window open and a light breeze accompanying the dappled sunlight,

Kissing, she remembered that. Among other more devious things, as she touched her lips lightly.

Under most circumstances, she'd have been furious for this. But, she found herself with an empty feeling wallowing in the pit of her stomach, coiling in agony.

Right, she thought to herself, now she'd have to pick up the shattered pieces from the floor all over again.

Always like this, always. Now, even after this, he was already gone. Probably forking over the hotel rent too. Bastard.

…

Anyways, she had already exited the motel, lying to Naruto about crashing somewhere in a tree, Kakashi seemed skeptical, but he kept it too himself.

Never one to be caught unawares, she had almost immediately rushed to the pharmacy for certain pills, only to realize that they didn't sell them. Stupid government purposes, she didn't care about the low population!

Didn't she warn herself about this? Head in hands, she willed herself not to cry, keeping up her façade throughout the mission.

…

Since he knew what would happen if he stayed, he'd decided the best option would be to leave. Coward. And he knew it.

And to make matters worse, he'd already known the Grass Country regulations, but ignored the many risks he was taking anyways.

Sometimes, he had to wonder where his head was, much too connected to his balls, if you asked him.

Underlying tension, more so than usual, as the groups ran into each other in a golden wheat field in Grass.

Kind smiles, hers of course. She had been giving him one through her tears, before she had spun around and pierced weapons through Karin, and scraped his cheek.

Enemies, they'd never be friends again, whether he wanted them to or not. Not anymore. He hadn't missed that look of betrayal on her face as Kakashi told them to retreat. He wasn't stupid, he knew he should too.

…

And since then, they had went their separate paths, one was walking into the darkened path of revenge, the other into the sunlight of parenting.

Neither had ever thought about each other, never about what they had done, what was happening now, and what would come.

Differences aside, he was beginning to remember…and she was beginning to forget.

…

Recently though, he had been giving even more thought about those incidents.

Everything had turned out okay, right? Sakura had let the baby go, the thing probably never lived to see the light of day, killed on a mission, or maybe even a still born.

If so, then why did he have a weird feeling in his stomach? Like…he was missing something important.

…

…He wouldn't have known why he felt like that if it wasn't for the unexpected trip to the hospital, a girl that he hadn't known existed for five years of her life, and once again, her tearstained face, the reason? Him. Verdict: Guilty. About time he paid the price…

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_Yep! The interlude, which really wasn't much of an omake because it was CelestailPrincess' take on what happened in between. Pretty close too. But okay, enough rambling._

_REVIEW! Me gives you cookies! Sugar cookies! With little red sprinkles!_


	8. L:

_I have been grounded. Augh. _

* * *

_ Like vines we, _

_intertwined _

Haruno Sakura had woken up precisely at seven o'clock, not even using an alarm clock or any other device to wake her up.

Three days, 5 hours, and probably a few minutes give or take.

Rei was sleeping, still blindfolded, more to keep her eyes from bleeding than to keep her Sharingan at bay. Tsunade had said that it was perfectly fine and working, Kakashi had vouched, saying that Rei's little tomoe was working perfectly, and she'd be able to copy anything. It had manifested so early, Sakura was taken aback by surprise. Apparently so was Sasuke.

Sasuke…

Fuck. Sakura rolled off her bed, landing feet first and striding over to her closet with her eyes closed. Opening the two doors, she realized she desperately needed a new wardrobe. It was already fall, and she had nothing but sundresses. Being a ninja had done something to her fashion sense, Ino had been particularly keen on that. Of course, she had a good stock of ANBU uniform and such, neatly compressed into one of her shelves.

Deciding not to get dressed at this particular moment, she sloppily tied her hair into a bun, loose ends coming out the end and her bangs falling around her face. Still in her plain tee and pajama pants, she walked into the kitchen and began to cook breakfast.

Thirty minutes and two eggs later, Rei was scrambling out of her room, one arm in her sleeve and the other hanging out loosely.

"Don't you think it's a good idea to get dressed properly first?" Sakura chided softly.

Rei's voice was muffled. "I would but I can't see!"

"I'm sorry sweetie." Sakura knelt down to help her. "But we can't take the bandages off just yet, okay?"

"What about my school?"

"Iruka-sensei has already been told. Don't worry, 'kay? Taro-chan will be there."

Rei pouted, and Sakura brushed her hair with her fingers. "I'll see you after school, alright?"

"Okay!"

"Now go finish your eggs." Sakura commanded teasingly. "You've got to have a good breakfast to be a good ninja!"

Okay, not true, but it worked perfectly as Rei inhaled the eggs. As her daughter flew out the door and down the stairs, Sakura began to wonder what she would do. Most effective strategy of the moment: avoid Sasuke at all costs. The percentage that that will work? Maybe 25. Certainly not enough to work properly, which led Sakura, back to her dilemma.

"Maybe…" She spoke to herself, brows furrowed. "Maybe, if I can't get Sasuke to leave…then I'll-

No.

It would have worked perfectly if it was just her, and Rei was out of the equation. She couldn't leave Rei alone, not again, after taking an entire year away from her. And certainly she couldn't babysit a child in the middle of massacring ANBU and Jounin. The situation was getting out of hand-she knew it too. Maybe that's why she was trying her hardest to duck out of it before the hole behind her closed and she was left staring into two Sharingan.

"OI! Open up in there Forehead! C'mon already!"

Sakura, hesitantly as she already knew who it was, opened the door.

"Ino? Do you even wake up this early?"

"Yes." The girl huffed. "And I did it for you! We need to quell this before it starts!"

Sakura raised a brow. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about_Rei_."

Her interest was piqued.

"What about Rei?" Sakura's voice was soft.

"I was delivering papers for Shikamaru-mission scrolls I think. And I walked in there and Tsunade-sama was piss drunk yelling something about Rei and Sharingan to Shizune."

"So?" Sakura retorted.

Ino rolled her eyes flippantly. "Okay, I'm not stupid. Rei's Sharingan manifested yesterday, didn't it? I saw her stumbling out of your apartment with blindfolds."

Damn. She knew already. "Your point?"

"My point?!" Ino groaned. "My point is putting blindfolds on your child isn't going to keep people from knowing! Why don't you just find Sasuke and make him tell Rei how to de-activate it."

"But I can't Ino!" Sakura protested. "I can't get _near _him! I-I just can't!"

"Even for Rei?"

Pause.

"…" Sakura's eyes shifted lower. "I don't know."

"Sakura…" Her voice was nothing but a whisper.

"I-I'm sorry Ino… but I can't-

"Don't apologize to me!" Ino snapped. "What about your daughter? You've left her in the dark for five years-five years of a little girl whishing and hoping for her father to come back and he's been here all along!"

"Better she thinks him a hero then the traitor he is."

"He's not a traitor." Ino whispered. "He's no more a traitor than we are! Look, Sakura…I know its hard, but please…please…can't you just…ask?"

Her face flushed with color, hands curled into tight fists, her long hair tumbling over her shoulders. Her best friend was right. Looking at the girl-no woman in front her, her blue eyes meeting her green. Leave it to Ino to finally knock some sense into Sakura. Thank god for best friends forever or Sakura wouldn't know what to do with her life.

She smiled, a bright one, the way she used to.

"Thank you, Ino-chan."

There was a light blush on her face.

"Uh…actually, Shikamaru-kun told me to say that."

Sakura giggled. "Then tell Shikamaru I said thank you."

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Uchiha Sasuke slowly exited the dreary Uchiha Compound with a sullen look on his face. He plodded along the concrete silently, listening to the birds in the trees chirp softly above him. The sun had just begin its ascend into the clear delphinium sky. A few cumulus clouds here and there, soft and fluffy looking, the kind he and Sakura used to sit at the hill and watch drift by on days like these.

She's smile at him, pointing out that one kinda looked like his 'duck' hair.

He'd frown at her, watching her smile again before he quickly leaned over to kiss her.

Then she'd gasp, he'd stop, and ask her if she still thought his hair looked like a duck.

She would have a sly look on her face, as she said it looked like a molested porcupine.

He would chuckle at her imagination and she'd tackle him. Then, they'd both tumble down the hill and land in the soft field of flower below.

…

The memory was vivid, he remembered it so clearly. He remembered it in the depths of sound, where no sunlight ever reached the bleak corridors. He remembered it as he went into his search for his brother. In the hours where he thought he was going to die he'd remember her smile, the way she'd tap her little fingers on his nose when they'd just be lounging around.

It was that very same memory that had brought him back to Konoha in the first place. Accepting Naruto's offer of coming back without fighting.

_Oi. Teme. _

…

_This time-this time I'm gonna pound you into the ground so hard you'll—_

_Naruto._

—_be screaming for-huh?_

_Let's go home._

_wha...?_

…

_(signature grin)Yeah._

Speaking of the blond-

"Hey bastard, looking glum today! But you know you _always_ look glum."

There was no doubt.

"So what's stuck up your ass today, huh?" Naruto stopped running up to him to walk beside him.

Sasuke said nothing.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Really, you could at least say something. I visit you everyday just because I'm good natured-

-you visit me to either pay for your ramen or to badger me into doing something. Which is it?" Sasuke interrupted.

The blond could only laugh and scratch the back of his head.

"Well…there's actually this nice tempura house down near the library and I was wondering if you'd stop being anti-social and come along?"

"To forge the bill on me?"

"Course not!" Naruto smiled. "I've got it covered."

Technically, Kakashi had it covered, but Sasuke wasn't to know that it wasn't just a duo affair. Actually, Sakura was pretty rich right now, she could pay too…Either way, Naruto wasn't about to slip up again after what happened a few days ago. He knew Sasuke had a lot on his mind right now, especially with all he found out about.

"Naruto…

Now this was a surprise. No dobe? Dead-last? Nothing? Strange.

"About…" His face twisted as if he was about to retch a frog. Like he was trying to pry words out of his mouth.

The words were unsaid, but Naruto knew what he was talking about.

_That girl…_

Naruto decided to enlighten his friend.

"Her names Rei."

He could tell from Sasuke's eyes that he had his interest.

"Her birthday's on October 14th. She loves tomatoes. Last year when Sakura went on her mission, she stayed with me n' Hinata-chan. Her favorite color is blue. She likes daisies. Her best friend since she was two is Hatake Taro…err…Obito. But we all call him Taro because he likes Taro balls. She's in the Academy, still in her first year. She's five years old."

Sasuke was engulfed by emotion. The child he never knew he had.

"Does she know?" His question came out as barely a whisper.

Naruto fidgeted. "Nah…she still thinks her father's some great war hero, y'know, still out there, probably dead, fought for his country. All that sap."

War hero? Sasuke would have scoffed. What war hero?

"Where does she live?"

"With Sakura, of course. They have one of those ritzy apartments downtown. Y'know the ones I'm talking about, where all the rich people live. She doesn't like it though-neither of them do. The kids are snobs. But Tsunade gave it to them because she said Sakura's old apartment wasn't enough for her and a child."

"Ah."

"What else…" They'd already reached the town. "Rei…well, you already know she's yours, so she's an Uchiha. But its only stated in the official Hokage records so not too many people know about it-Hey, this is it teme! Stop walking!"

Sasuke abruptly stopped, his eyes wandering to the interior of the restaurant. It looked normal-quaint. Sunlight seeped from the windows, small couches instead of chairs. It must be new; he didn't remember it.

Naruto grabbed his wrist, vaulting through the doors with excess energy.

"Uh…party of four, under Hatake please!" Naruto told the flustered lady behind the lecture.

She took out two more menus, heading into the back room.

Unlike the front, which was dappled with people, the back was solely for parties who didn't want to be interrupted. It also must be a shinobi restaurant, only they seemed to have back rooms like this.

What really surprised the Uchiha though, was that it wasn't just Kakashi who was there.

Of course, said lazy porn-reading ninja was leaning into the couch, signature book in hand and stirring his cup of tea. Tempura was already on the table. Sakura was there too; placidly situated next to the lazy teacher, a placid smile decorated her face. Hair spilled over her shoulders-after she was Chuunin she never cut it-framing her jade eyes. As Naruto greeted her with excessive loudness, her eyes slowly moved from her lap, meeting his fathomless black ones.

Her mouth was open, for she slowly turned it up into a small smile. It looked a little forced.

He was surprised, but he should have known that if Kakashi was there, why wouldn't Sakura? He could only be happy that Sai wasn't.

"Hello, Sasuke." Her eyes only looked a bit melancholy, no trace of nervousness.

He nodded, taking the seat opposite of Kakashi, and Naruto took the one opposite of Sakura. He was chatting away to the waiter, about the food they had. Eventually, the waiter left, and the small talk _how was your day? Do anything interesting? _That Kakashi had drawn him into soon left the table, only silence, until the waiter shut the door that lead to the outside.

"Sorry we had to drag you into this back room." Kakashi explained. "But we can't talk about Rei anywhere else. Politics, you see. We don't need any ears that might slip up to the Counsel; they're not to know about any of this."

Right. That's why they were badgering him into having kids. They didn't know.

"What about her?"

He mentally winced; he hadn't wanted it to come out so cold.

"Nothing." Sakura retorted coolly. "She just doesn't know how to turn off her Sharingan. Could you help us?"

"Is she unconsciously feeding it chakra?" He asked back.

"Probably."

"Is she here?"

"Will be."

Wow. Naruto would have laughed if the atmosphere wasn't so intense. Sakura hadn't even looked to meet Sasuke's eyes, either stirring her tea or drinking it, pouring sugar-doing something with her tea to entertain herself. Sasuke was leaned against his chair, hands in his pockets. Naruto couldn't help but think that Sasuke was actually the one who started all this…tension. Kakashi sensed it too, putting his book down for once to actually sit and listen, trying to be as much help as he possibly could in a situation like this. They weren't little twelve year-old here, and children weren't exactly his ball park.

"Kaa-chan!"

The door swung open, everyone looked. Especially Sasuke.

The moment she had opened the door, she had pulled down her blindfolds to reveal her newly born Sharingan, the one tomoe spinning slowly around the iris. Her hair was almost neatly falling down her back, a few strands out of place. The blue shirt with the swirl on it she had pulled out this morning was on with her little kunoichi skirt with shorts under it. On her feet were shinobi sandals.

Sasuke blinked. She really did look like an Uchiha.

"Hi Rei-chan." Sakura's voice was so sweet. "Had a good day?"

"Uh-huh!" The child came running, bouncing into Sakura's lap. "Taro-kun made sure no one teased me! They all said it was so cool! Taro-kun was really nice too! He didn't play ball with the other kids so that I had someone to talk to and-

Sakura smiled, running her fingers through the child's hair. Kakashi was laughing too, he of course, knew of the oversized crush Taro-Obito had on Rei. It was just so adorable, the two of them and there constant badgering.

Sasuke felt his heart sink. Five years of missing out on this.

It hadn't seemed like much at first, when he thought about having kids back at Sound. It sounded hard, boring, and most of all just as pain. He didn't think of children as anything but annoyances, now, well…he could only wish he'd known about Rei sooner, and maybe everything would have turned out alright. He could spend more time like this.

"Well, Rei-chan," Sakura interrupted slowly. "Sasuke's going to tell you how to turn off your Sharingan, okay?"

Rei stopped talking, eyes moving to look over at Sasuke curiously.

Silence. Maybe she didn't remember.

"Oh…" Her eyes seemed to widen. "Are you the person I ran into that one time?"

She remembered.

He could only smile. "Hello again."

"Hi! Nice to meet'cha! Do you really know how to turn this off? How do you know? Did you learn it from Kakashi-sempai? Do you have one? How do you know Kaa-chan and Naruto-jii-chan and Kakashi-sempai—

"Okay Rei-chan." Sakura stopped her before her questions turned personal. "Let him tell you how to help your eyes."

Thank god. He didn't know if he could answer all of those without giving anything away.

"Rei-chan," It was amazing how easily it was for him to say her name—like he should have been doing it for a long time. "Could you try to relax a little?"

The girl complied, closing her Sharingan slowly and breathing in and out in a rhythmical pattern.

Sasuke made sure his voice was kind and soft. "Now, slowly try to remove the pressure from your eyes."

The movement was internal, the only signs that she was doing it were her furrowed eye brows and her small hands clutching the table. She opened her eyes, the lashes fluttering over them in a manner that reminded him of the way Sakura does it. Her eyes had gone back to the lichen it usually was.

"Is it…" For once, her voice was not loud. "Is it better now?"

Sakura smiled genuinely, pretty enough to light up the entire room. "Yes, your eyes are fine now Rei-chan."

"Awesome!"

The girl bounded out of her seat, tugging her mother's hand as she did so. "Kaa-chan! Kaa-chan! Let's go to the park today! There's lots of ducks to play with and Taro-chan and his friends are going to be there! Even Taro-chan's Kaa-chan is coming too!"

"Ah, of course we can go, Rei-chan."

Rei squealed in delight.

Sakura began again. "But could you wait outside with Naruto-kun for a second? I have something to talk with the grown-ups."

The little girl frowned, but nonetheless, she pulled a flabbergasted Naruto's hand and the two of them barreled out the door.

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief.

'Thank you, Sasuke." She turned her mini colored eyes to the Uchiha, who could only hope his face didn't portray his emotions.

He nodded in response.

"And, I was wondering—

The words that tumbled out of her mouth paused for a second.

She tried to make the words come out of her mouth. _For Rei, _She had told herself countless times through the entire course of the day. After Ino had woken her up to see what she was doing wrong, she had made sure that she went through with all of this—for Rei. Because she deserved more that just what Sakura could give her alone. And even if at this point in time Sakura believed she was better off without Sasuke…well, Rei wasn't. Two parents was better than one.

—you'd like to come with us?"

Sasuke blinked. Was she asking what he though she was asking?

"Kakashi's going to be there too, and his wife, maybe Naruto…" She added as an after thought.

"Sure."

She smiled again, it looked more truthful than the one she had given him when he had walked in. He smiled back, it felt odd as he did it because it had been so long since he had done so before. He had forgotten what her smiles tended to do to his heart. It was like putting himself against a heater and watching himself melt onto the floor in just mere seconds.

"Okay then," She picked herself off her chair, heading for the door. "I'll see you two then, okay?"

Kakashi groaned, thinking about what his wife was going to yell at him this time. But Sasuke, happened to be happy about this little 'play date'. His first time out with his daughter—and he was going to make it count for something.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Now Kakashi," He winced as his wife pulled his ear in a swift motion. "Behave yourself. There are children and I don't want you reading that horrible abomination you call a book—

Over the years, Kakashi had learned exactly how to deal with his wife. She was an amazing person, yes, and extremely patient too. A bit of a ditz at times, okay, a lot of times, but she was a person that Kakashi somehow easily got along with. And also clashed with at considerable moments during their relationship. Of course, marriage was something he had been afraid of for a very long time, but after Obito it never seemed so bad.

"Kaa-chan, Kaa-chan! Did you bring the bread?" His son was grinning up at the two of them as they walked to the park.

"Of course!" She smiled sweetly. "Your father has it."

"Tou-chan?"

Sigh.

"Awesome!"

And thus, this was the life that Kakashi had resigned too. Instead of pulling out a kunai, the only hope of survival in an S-class ANBU mission somewhere in the depths of Iwa lost and alone with dead and wounded partners, he pulled out a few slices of bread from his pocket to show his little boy. But somehow, this utterly un-action packed life wasn't so bad.

His wife absently rubbed her growing stomach.

"I was thinking of a few names for our baby."

"Oh?"

As they entered the park, the laughter of children flew through the air like a melody from a song.

"If it's a girl," The woman started, pulling back her strawberry blonde hair. "Then maybe Rin, or Sakura."

Kakashi smiled. Rin would go perfectly with Obito already.

"And if it's a boy, maybe Minato, or Naruto." She smiled at him, already knowing the significance of the names.

"You know me too well." Kakashi chuckled.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

Said man looked up from his wife, Naruto's mop of blonde hair already showing in the distance. He stood near the lake, waving an arm in an exuberant manner, standing next to his two teammates who seemed a bit more crestfallen then the blond. Sakura had a small smile on her face, the kind she gave when she was feeling more skittish than usual. Sasuke had his hands in his pockets, a more blank look on his face.

"How's my favorite team doing today?" He greeted them.

"Hey Kakashi-sensei." Sakura smiled, showing a more polite one to his wife. "Hatake-san."

"Oh please!" The woman laughed. "Just Reina, please."

"It's nice to meet you, Reina-san." Sasuke held his hand politely, the woman pleasantly shaking it.

"I've heard so much about you Sasuke-kun! Oh, I'd love it if you could tell me all the Gennin stories I'm sure you have somewhere. Naruto and Sakura have already been through this with me a hundred times but I can't help it! I'm just so—

But yes, for all this woman was worth she was a bit of a ditzy chatterbox. Sending a look to his Gennin sensei his teacher could only smile with a sheepish look in return.

"Taro-chan!" Rei ran up to her friend. "C'mon lets go feed the ducks!"

"Ducks!"

And as quickly as they had come, the two had run off to the edge of the lake, making odd imitations of duck noises and throwing scattered bread around the lake, the ducks flocking to them and making just as odd duck noises as the two little children. Kakashi and his lovely-but very, very chatty-wife had walked off to a park bench. Naruto clasped his hands behind his head and walked over to join the two kids, leaving Sakura and Sasuke to themselves.

Which of course, was one of the more awkward things the two had experienced in their lives.

Sakura's sweet smile had faded into softer tones, as her eyes traced Rei as she ran about on the edge of the lake. Sasuke watched her closely, her eyes were still the same as he remembered, a bit sadder, and more motherly, but they had the most peculiar shade of jade, just like he remembered.

Interesting enough, Sasuke was the one who started conversation. "She's very…different then I had imagined."

"Oh?"

Judging from her voice, she had taken it the wrong way. He winced at his words, working quickly to fix them.

"I never really thought about kids…they were always something I had wanted, but I had never imagined what my child would look like I—

"It's alright," He felt his heart trip when she turned her eyes to face him. "I hadn't really expected it either, but it happened."

He really couldn't say anything about that, could he?

"Look, Sakura." He tried again. "I really do want to be a part of Rei's life. I do. I want to be there for her, I don't want her thinking that her father's out there somewhere dead and she's never going to have one."

Sakura's eyes traveled back to the lake side, watching Naruto horse around with the two kids, teasing them and then walking onto the water and teasing the some more. The wind played with her rosemary hair, her lips thinning into a claret red line. She watched as the two children threw pieces of bread at Naruto, the blond yelping and trying to dodge as best he could without tripping over ducks.

She watched as he played with them, something she always wanted Sasuke to-

"If you wanted to be so involved in her life," The words came out before she could stop them. "Then where have you been for the past five years?"

Sasuke had no way to rebuke that.

Silence.

Nothing but the wind and the echo of laughter coming from the lake.

"Sasuke."

She turned to face him again; her eyes had a look he'd only seen once before. That look of abandonment, the one that was probably in her eyes when he left Konoha, and the one that was in her eyes in that golden meadow in Grass country, and now, in her eyes right now.

He turned to face her, not fully meeting her gaze.

"Please I—

She curled her hands into fists.

"Please just leave."

She couldn't look at him, feeling that remorse and sorrow in her stomach coiling around, wallowing in the pit of her heart. Her verdant eyes closed, spiky lashes creating shadows over her cheeks. If she held them any longer, she wasn't sure how long it would be until tears began to pour out of them.

Silently, he left her there, unsure of whether he should stay or leave, and eventually just shadowed into the bathroom.

Maybe, she watched Rei and Naruto, he could take on the world and then some, but he couldn't handle this just yet.

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_I was grounded sooooo many times in sequence that my brain is fried. Fanfiction—COME BACK TO ME!!!!! _

_:sigh: Please, review. _


	9. O

_Auuuuuuuuuuuuuuggggggggggghh. Twelve at night where I am. I stayed awake for you people! Grar! (currently C-ing science, which is why this took so long) I would have been motivated though if I had more reviews. :( _

_HaplessLovers:L:Hirusagari no Tawamure_

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

The morning began itself in an entirely upbeat manner.

Sakura was already making breakfast, Rei was already screaming through the window that it was finally Saturday, Ino wasn't out of bed yet, Shikamaru had fallen asleep on a hill somewhere, Kakashi was watching morning cartoons with Taro, and all was well in the world. Well…almost at least. There was a duo that seemed a little lost on the upbeat cause of this particular Saturday morning.

Said duo were strolling around the outskirts of Konoha—one of their more usual spots—the winding dirt road ceasing its trail so far away that the sun came over it, in its rising upwards. It smelled of rice patties and sugar canes, cloudless blue skies and lots of frogs. Something that neither of the two enjoyed but it seemed to be the only place they talked.

"So," The blonde of the two clasped hands behind his head. "I think you're scared."

"Scared?" The other raised a brow.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. Scared."

"Why?"

"'Cause you think that Sakura's maaddddd at you." He grinned.

A snort. "That's because she is."

"How would you know? Did you talk to her?"

Sasuke had nothing to say.

"See? See? _No_. You didn't talk to her!" He prodded childishly at the other boy, laughing as he did so.

"I don't see how this is so funny, Naruto."

"You might not," Naruto began helpfully. "Because you've got the humor of a clam."

"Clam's don't _talk _Naruto—

"Gah! Metaphor! Come on, I'm trying to appreciate my new found vocabulary here! Indulge me will you?"

Sasuke blinked. Owlishly. "That's pretty amazing Naruto. Do you even know half of those words?"

"No! But you know what? That's not the point. The point is, you're avoiding Sakura 'cause you think she doesn't like you. But Sakura thinks you avoiding her 'cause you think its _weird _about Rei!"

"I…" Sasuke stopped himself. He wanted to deny it, but somehow, he couldn't bring himself to.

Did he really think that?

Did he?

Naruto's frowning face was looking at him intensely. The blond had swerved in front of him so that he was walking backwards, his hands on his hips and a frown marring his features in a cross between a childish pout and a full blown frown. Somehow, the Uchiha knew he was actually seriously mad at him.

"I don't know." He finished lamely.

"Yeah, well, you should know."

"Hn."

"You know what? You should go over there."

"Naruto—

"I'm serious. Go over there, say you want to help out with house work."

He growled. "What in the hell-?

"_Seriously!_" Naruto pressed his face close. "This is getting really annoying. I'm pretty sure Sakura-chan likes you, and I _know _you like her—don't give me that look. You do. So I don't see the problem here!"

"That's because you don't get it, Naruto." Sasuke retorted. "You don't have a five year old kid you know virtually nothing about."

"_But _if I did, I'd be all over this! I'd be like, there right now doing whatever I could. You know, owning it up. Don't be a chicken, Sasuke."

That struck a nerve. Flashes of the wav country mission whipping past him, of Orochimaru's enormous snake towering over him, Naruto's small red-eyed frame the only thing holding it back. The blonde's grin, and Sasuke's infuriation, and those words. _Are you scared, chicken_?

He sent Naruto a look that made the blond know it worked, before he stormed off in the other direction, ignoring Naruto's triumphant whistle.

---------------------------------------

Sakura was in the midst of running over to the market to get more milk-as she begrudgingly realized she was out-when she heard the door bell ring. Rei was in the other room watching the latest installment of Bleach, sadly uncensored but the little girl probably knew enough from Kakashi anyways. Probably Ino, because the woman had never heard of correct timing in her life. Ever.

"Ino!" Sakura called loud enough to be heard over the door. "I swear, if this is one of your—

The door opened with a creek, and Sakura was faced with more Uchiha than she could handle.

—Sasuke?"

He gave her something that looked to be a smile. Probably not though. "Sakura."

He shifted uneasily, she was tempted to do the same.

"…yeah?"

She blinked. He blinked.

"Have any housework you need done?"

"Huh?"

"Housework." He repeated like he was talking to a slow dim witted child. "Do you have any house work you need?"

She stuttered. "U-Uh sure…why?"

"Because I want to help out."

There was a silence where Sasuke was unsure if he said the right thing and Sakura was unsure of what to do with herself and this rather breathless feeling.

Hesitantly, she opened the door a little wider.

"Then come in,"' She said softly. "I'm sure I'll find something for you to do."

He did as told, taking a clean sweep of the apartment and the faint sounds of the TV running in the other room. A very homely place, much different than his desolate house alone in a sea of drowning sorrows. Everything was neutral tones, matching in a way that could only mean feminine touches. He could smell the flowers set aside on the hallway table next to him and what seemed to be breakfast being started.

"Housework?" She grinned. It had been a long time since he had seen it. "I think I've got something for you to do."

She led him to the kitchen, set where the fridge was against the wall opposite of the opening, the sink to the left with the oven and stove to the right. The floor was lined with pristine ashen tiles, he was amazed how well kept everything was. She pointed to a rather prominent stack of dirt dishes accumulated over the past three days. They looked dirty and caked with already dry and crusty food.

She giggled at him. "All you have to do is unload the dishwasher, and then reload it. Soap's under the sink."

She went back to stirring her scrambled eggs, and he went over to speculate his latest job and his now apparent faulty reasoning.

"Where do the forks go?"

"Fourth drawer to the left." She answered, not skipping a beat.

"Cups?"

"Second cabinet."

"Plates?"

"Third."

Once everything was put away in an orderly fashion, and he had just begun his long and tedious journey through the massive horde of dirty dishes, Sakura gasped. He turned around, wondering if she had spilt the eggs on the floor and was going to make him clean it up. Instead, he found her leaning over and into the fridge looking for something frantically. Whatever it was nowhere to be found. Pouting slightly, she looked over to him.

"You don't mind going to the market, do you?"

"Dishes?"

"It's fine, I can do them."

He nodded, placing the last fork in the silverware container. "What do you need?"

"Umm…Just milk, I think." She wiggled a hand into her jean back pockets. "This should be enough." She handed over the ryo.

Nodding again—because talking was just too much of a hassle, he made his way through the house and to the door. The padding of feet across the wooden surface caught his attention.

"Kaa-chan! I think I ate all the tomatoes!"

Tomatoes?

"Oh…honey, I think we're out."

"_What_?!"

"Sorry sweetie! You go through them too quickly—actually, why don't you catch up to Sasuke and see if you can tag along with him to the market."

Sasuke blinked. Uh-oh. This was getting out of hand. There was only one girl in this house, Rei, and he wasn't sure if he was prepared for such a feet as this. Father-daughter time??? What was he supposed to do? He didn't remember much of his parents; he was never cut out for these kinds of situations. Too bad now, Rei was already two steps away from him.

"Sasuke-sannn!" She sang. "Let's got to the market!"

He sighed in agreement, taking her lead and striding outside of the house. The stairs were longer than he speculated them to be, but somehow, this girl had so _much _energy that she was able to prance down them with childish yet graceful ease, continue babbling a mile a minute, and still look where she was going.

And this girl was related to him? Not even remotely, but his very own daughter?

She had probably already spoken more words in these few seconds than he had in his entire life.

"And Taro-chan had such a cute smile! He was all shy and stuff 'cause Uncle Kakashi had made him get dressed-actually I think it was his mom-but he looked kinda stiff in the really fancy clothes. Everyone was so happy at the baby shower I couldn't believe how many people were there! Uncle Naruto was there, so was Kaa-chan, hey were you there? You were part of the team riiiggghhhttt? How come I——

He closed his ears off.

After another good ten minutes of babbling, the girl closed her mouth. In fact, she was so silent that the silence hadn't interrupted him from his thoughts until it had delved its way through his very core. It was too quiet.

He chanced a look at the girl next to him, to find himself peering back into very green eyes.

"So…how _do _you know Kaa-chan?"

He resisted the urge to rub his temples. "We were on the same Gennin team."

"I know! So was Uncle Naruto and Uncle Kakashi and stuff like that, but you know…why'd you leave and why'd Uncle Sai come instead?"

"Hn."

"Seriously! No one ever talks about that stuff. Its always, 'ninja stuff' this and 'ninja stuff' that. It's not fair! I'm always left in the cark cause I'm not a ninja! Like I'm too young or something."

"You _are _too young."

"Am not!"

She stuck her tongue at him, and took a fleeting glance at the crowd of people at the market. With another look at him, she dashed forward, weaving through a large lady carrying a stack of bananas and an old man with a bag of carrots. She disappeared into a pool of colors and voices after that.

Oh damn. Sakura was going to kill him if he lost her.

----------------------

When the second knock on the door came, Sakura opened it quickly, about to ask why that was so quick, when she realized the dark-haired boy with fair skin in front of her was not an Uchiha.

"Sai." She breathed.

She hadn't seen the man at all.

His features were as very blank as they had been the day they met. "You didn't come and visit me."

"Sorry." Her voice was in softer undertones. "I forgot."

"Bullshit."

She winced a bit. His tone was harsh.

Sai had never been a talker, and even when he had tried to become less of a social dunce it hadn't improved since. He still had his odd shaped tan from the ridiculous belly shirt he wore when they were Chuunin, and he still hadn't gotten a smile correctly. Not that she thought he ever would. Although recently, she was wondering what exactly had made him suddenly seem a bit different. This being one of the bigger changes.

"What—

"You're avoiding me. Both of you."

Sakura could only think that both was aimed toward her and Naruto. Of which she was pretty much certain of where that was going to lead.

"We aren't."

"You are."

"No—

"Because he's back." His voice was stiff and frozen. Sakura didn't need to ask to know the person they were currently speaking of.

She frowned. "Sai, we're not a team anymore. Neither of us are. Naruto's got his own Chuunin squad and I'm in a mix of a Hunter-nin and ANBU. He's got nothing to do with this."

"He does." He answered, his figure seeming taller in the doorway. "Because you're avoiding the subject."

She grumbled quietly. "I _know _he's back. I know you don't like him, a lot. But you have to understand Sai, we haven't seen him in years and-

-and after all that he's done to you, you still let him in your house." He finished with a bite to his tone.

Wincing, she tightened her fingers together. "He's trying." She whispered. "Really hard."

"It shouldn't be enough."

His hands slammed into the wall, pinning her. Her back was pressed into the hallway table, one hand set near the fresh set of flowers from Ino and the other gripping the edge. She had to lean back when his figure towered over her.

"I should be enough."

"Sai…"

"Sakura-chan! This is an emergency!!!!!!!"

Naruto's cry rung loud in the dim silence, enough to send Sai out of his emotion-full trance and slipping the mask of indifference back on, walking into the kitchen and slipping out the open window with the breeze. He left Sakura leaning against her table with her stomach swirling in a not-good kind of way. Obviously distressed.

Naruto burst through the door. Clad in only dark jeans and even then they hung low on his hips.

"Sakura. Emergency. Big. Emergency."

Apparently a mixture of important emergencies and long runs turned Naruto into the mono-symbolic caveman.

Collecting her scattered self of the wooden newly cleaned floor, she managed a small comforting smile. "Slow down Naruto—

"I think Hinata-chan might be pregnant!!!!!!"

Whatever sanity Sakura had managed to pick up in those few moments dropped right back down.

"_What_?!"

"I-I dunno…I thought, 'hey, is Hinata on birth control? Cause I didn't use last time we…you know…and I'm not sure who to tell and—

"Naruto."

The blond flinched.

"Why are you telling me this and not Hinata?"

"Well…because I…" The blond ninja fidgeted. "Well because…the thought of parenting scares me!"

The mere fact that Naruto new have of the sexual terminology he had just said had amazed Sakura already. The fact that the blond who could literally stare death in the face and smile and wave, and was afraid of parenting more than that, amazed her even more.

"Naruto…" Sakura sighed. "Parenting is nothing to be afraid about, kids are great. Just think past the burping and the feeding and cleaning up the dirty diapers and there's a whole future out there!"

"Not helping Sakura-chan!"

She smiled. "I know, but, Naruto, parenting's great. Really. And you're doing the honorable thing and facing this, and not running away."

Naruto nodded shaking still from his panic attack, but seemed to be recovering.

"Its not…gonna…kill me, is it?"

"What?"

"Parenting."

"Doubt it. I'm still alive."

"Y-Yeah…you're right." Naruto smiled, rubbing the back of his head more to relax himself than anything. "Just…one step at a time…one step at a time…"

"Of course."

She shoved the blond out of her house, really feeling like she need to stew her thoughts together. Sakura already knew for a fact from Hinata's after-mission check up that she wasn't pregnant, but it was good to know that Naruto was really doing the honorable thing. Unlike…some people she could speak of. She knew it wasn't Sasuke's fault, he hadn't known. But if he had, would he have chosen the same path anyways? If he had, would he have still gone?

Sai's words were getting to her.

----------------------------------------------------

Sasuke was having a field day. He couldn't find Rei at all. She had mangled herself into a crowd of Saturday morning shoppers, most of which being old people who were probably struck blind deaf and dumb. No one seemed to know where she had gone, and, neither had he. Panic was rising in his throat, he could se his chances in parenting washing themselves down the drain like the last of sewage water. Sakura screeching at him in hysterics that he had lost her only child. And now Rei was alone somewhere…crying…sobbing…

Oh god. He had to find her.

----------------------------------------------------

By the time the third person knocked on her door, Sakura was ready to kill someone. She had huddled herself on the couch, tea already being steamed and the eggs probably going to need another dose of reheating. The warm fluffy down feathers she had were very comforting in moments like these, and she was, in fact, happy that she had wasted her money on them. If anything, just for these moments, that felt like PMS on an S-class mission in the middle of a hot stick desert combined.

No thanks to her latest drama in her life.

Sakura's life had been going at a pace that was very leisurely, sometimes depressing, but definitely leisurely. There was no drama, no heart-clenching feelings (in the present, but from the past) and nothing interesting romantic wise beside the days when Ino would come over and rant about her latest boy toy and how insufferable he was. It was perfect, and easy, and good. Definitely a good life.

And then, Sasuke barrels through her happy dream like a wrench, prying down the fake scenario with cold cut precision that needed no words, just a _look._

And then Sai, strutting through like he's the coolest things that happened to the world since kunai with logos on them, kicking Sasuke away in a futile attempt to get to her.

And now, someone was knocking at her door.

Hopefully Sasuke and Rei, so they could finish breakfast, and then they could all go home.

Instead, as she clutched a pillow and wedged her door open, and all too cheerful for the morning Ino bounced into her vision.

"Oh! Sakura-chan! You look kinda sleepy…you alright?"

"Never better Ino." She deadpanned, giving her friend the once over. "You're carrying flowers."

"Yes I am! I've decided that I should make amends with old long enemies that I have encountered on the hardened battlefield! Of which were created in the midst of all things treacherous and deceiving-with the cold blue steel that makes the heart wrench in despair in something that is akin to madness! The battlefield of—

"And you've met up with Lee."

"Yep! How'd you know?"

She blinked owlishly at her very long-time friend. Ignoring the comment. "In the language of normal people, if you will."

"Temari's in town and I thought that I'd give her flowers to-you know-make up since we had such a spat for Shikamaru. Battlefield of love, man…I did some nasty things."

Sakura nodded in her haze of emotion induced stupidity, it was only when Ino was half through a ramble did she notice something.

"Temari? Are you going to Suna?"

"Suna?" Ino made a 'pfft' sound. "Why would I go here at this time of year? It's rain season. Uck…my outfit would be _ruined_."

"Then…" Sakura trailed off. "Where are you going to see Temari?"

Ino flicked her forehead. "Have you been under a rock for the past week?" Somewhat, actually. "The Kazekage and his troopers are stopping in Konoha for diplomatic crap."

Wait…

…Kazekage?

…Gaara?

"Like, Gaara, you mean?"

"Exactly." Ino nodded. "I'm sure Temari'll be there."

There was a moment of silence.

"I'm gonna apologize, of course." Ino said flippantly, more or less talking to herself. "But if she dares to lay a finger on Shikamaru…oohhh—

And Sakura smiled. There was something good today. An old friend was visiting.

-----------------------------------

Sasuke groaned. Rei was nowhere to be found. He had checked everywhere, and when he said everywhere, he meant it. From the candy store to the apples, he had thoroughly checked the neat rows of stalls that lined the market, had pretty much asked every old couple if they had seen a young girl. And, to his utter dismay, not a single one had seen Rei. Actually, he wondered how amazing a shinobi she would be if even he couldn't find her. Pretty good. Now who'd she get it from, Sakura or himself?

"Excuse me," Yet another old couple. "Have you seen a young girl? Black hair green eyes?"

The wizened old woman leaned closer. "Sorry whippersnapper, can't hear you. You've got to speak in my good ear."

Sasuke groaned. "A girl. With black hair and green eyes, have you seen her?"

"Sorry hun, haven't seen ya girlfriend—

"I think he means that young girl we just passed a while ago." Her husband cut off.

"Girl?"

"Yeah."

"The one near the tomato stall—

The rest of the conversation was lost on Sasuke, as he sprinted past the old couple still debating. He moved away from the furniture and miscellaneous section, making his way to the fruits and vegetables. The place was teeming, certainly not as smelly as the fish aisles but it was a unique scent. Of course, his nose was perfectly capable of finding his favorite fruit-tomatoes.

Finally. He found her.

Rei was munching happily on a juicy red tomato, rolling on the balls of her feet.

She was talking to someone.

A red head.

With Kazekage robes and an entourage of people behind him.

Gaara.

"So Naruto was all like, 'Sakura-chan! Help me!', and Kaa-chan was frowning at him saying, 'you got yourself into this.' It was really funny!" Rei finished her latest babble, grinning widely as she did so.

Gaara smiled softly, leaning down to wipe the extra tomato off her cheek. "You've got to be more carefully when talking with food in your mouth."

She giggled. "Sorrryyy!"

No harm done though, the Kazekage seemed enthralled just to be there. "Its okay, its always good to be in such good company."

She giggled again.

Rei noticed him.

"Oh! Sasuke-san! Sorry I left you, but I really, really, really wanted tomatoes!"

Crap. He hadn't wanted to draw attention to himself. At all. The entire entourage of Suna-nin including the Kazekage seemed extremely surprised to see him. Whether because of the fact he was in Konoha with a hitai-ate with him, or the fact that Rei knew him, he didn't know. But apparently, the surprise was quickly fleeing when Rei pounced up to him. Smiling, of course.

She looked at the two of them. "Have you two met before?"

Sasuke and Gaara nodded stiffly. The red-heads eyes were blazing.

"Cool! So I don't have to introduce you!" Rei grinned. "See, Uncle Gaara, I kinda left Sasuke-san cause I really wanted tomatoes. But I forgot he hasn't been here in a while! And he probably wouldn't know I wanted tomatoes either…but…"

However, neither of the two were paying attention.

There was a death glaring match set between the two, the tension gather with each second, a bit like the way a light attracts insects.

Finally, Gaara pulled away, turning away swiftly.

"Let's go see your Kaa-chan, okay? I want to tell her I'm in town."

Rei nodded, still grinning widely. "Sure! C'mon Sasuke-san! You got the milk, right?"

Sasuke nodded, lifting the plastic bag of milk up. Rei sprinted forward, the big crowd of Suna-nin dispersing to go to the hotel, seeing as though what the Kazekage did with friends was a private affair. With the little girl far ahead of them, Gaara had leaned close to Sasuke. The once gently aura that had engulfed him with the young girl was now lost in the sea of anger he held now.

"You should take better care of her."

He spun around, walking off to join Rei in her latest expedition.

Sasuke wasn't sure which 'her' he had meant, Sakura or Rei.

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_Done. I'm so lazy. I should have done this earlier. I ran through a Cloud Strife faze though, and wasn't interested in Naruto for a while. _

_Beta: TheAimlessReviewer_

_Here lies Sakura's house._

_----------------------------------------------------------------_

_ 2 4 6 7 _

_--------- _

_1 -----------5- --- --------------- 9 _

_--------- _

_ 3 12 ---- ------------------------_

_ 10 8 11_

_----------------------------------------------------------------_

_enterance_

_dining room _

_living room_

_kitchen _

_bar-ish area (you can see kitchen from here)_

_Rei's room_

_Rei's bathroom_

_Guest bathroom_

_Sakura's room_

_Guest Room_

_Sakura's bathroom_

_TV area/sitting room_

_Hey. Review. I was depressed because I didn't get that many for the last chapter so it took longer to get the chapter out! _


	10. V

_Ugh. This took a while. Suffering from intense brain damage and an equally-if not more-intense obsession with Kyuubi. Expect a Kyuu fic out extremely soon. (PS-If you have never heard of Nujabes, i.e. Samurai Champloo, i.e. the amazing music that the anime has—I kindly suggest you do. The dude has a myspace, how cool is that?!_

_HaplessLovers:V:Kumomi_

* * *

Well, at least Rei could sufficiently say she was happy at this point. Be the fact that the tomatoes she had eaten were already wolfed down, or the fact that one of her favorite Uncle's (of which she had too many to count) was now in town. Which, should be enough to make at least one child happy. And it did. Rei was very content skipping along with the red head, his small smile the equivalent of some very ecstatic cuddling.

"So!" She giggled. "What's Suna like?"

"Hot."

To anyone else that would have been a rather monotonous and bland statement, but Sasuke could tell there was something different about the way the Suna-nin had said it. Almost…endearing?

" 'Course! Suna's alwaaays hot."

"It is." The Kazekage nodded once, pulling something from his robes. "I got something for you."

"Yatta!"

Cutely wrapped, the little pink box had an enormous bow that sat upon the cover, its large silken ribbons all too big for the tiny box. Definitely meant to impress. Rei jumped in joy, grinning at her Uncle with a wide kiddish smile as she rocked on her heels, grinning as she did so.

"Thank you Uncle Gaara!"

He gave her a platonic smile.

"I'm gonna wait to open it at the house 'cause then Kaa-chan can see it too!" If possible, her grin widened considerably.

"If you want."

"Hai!" She cheered.

Sasuke felt a bit like a third wheel watching there conversation. He had always thought that talking to the Shukaku Jinchuuriki was a bit like talking to a brick wall-hard and inconsiderably difficult. But, it seemed that he was genuinely listening to what Rei had to say. Sasuke was certain it was because she was Sakura's child more than anything.

The apartment complex was coming into view, its gardens spreading across the landscape with it's freshly cut bushes. The water fountain at the center was working, Rei skipping over to admire its staggering water falls.

"Sugoi!"

She leaned over the cemented edge, mouth open and concentrating on catching water with her tongue.

Gaara pulled her along. "That's nasty water."

"But Kaa-chan can heal me!" Rei grinned, but let herself be drawn away.

"Your mother can't heal sicknesses."

The young girl pouted, hands on her hips as she walked beside the Kazekage—a feet that only the greatest diplomats and Naruto could achieve—as she animatedly talked to the stoic man.

The young woman at the front desk was on the phone, but she stopped to bow at him as she continued to patter on. She did though, shoot an incredulous look at the duo in front of him, as Rei-instead of taking the stairs- pushed the button on the elevator.

As they strode into the elevator, the third-wheel feeling came back with a bite.

There elevator ride was rather silent besides Rei's continuous chatter, which effectively broke the tension that had misted itself in the elevator. To a point at least, because Sasuke could still feel it terribly, Gaara standing proud next to him. Maybe even guilt mixed in there somewhere.

"Kaa-chan's gonna be happy to see you!" Rei sing-songed. "She's making breakfast."

"I hope she's a better cook than the last time I was here."

"Probably!" She smiled. "Because I think it tastes a lot better!"

His lips turned upwards a bit. "How long has it been since I've been here?"

Bing. Floor two.

"I dunno, maybe two years…I wasn't even in the Academy by then!"

Bing. Floor three.

"Ah, how are you doing in that?"

"Really, really good! Me 'n Taro-chan are best in our class!"

The doors slid open with the sound of metal on metal. Rei bounded to the apartment door, giggling as she did so, and the bag of half eaten tomatoes in her hand. Sasuke had the carton of milk tucked under his shoulder, a little ways behind the two of them.

Oh god. He could just tell breakfast was going to be an affair of tension, him probably being at the center of it.

"Kaa-chan!"

Sakura had been in the middle of flipping the eggs, literally jumping as her child bounded through the door and into the kitchen. Luckily, she caught the eggs and gave a relieved sigh-yet to see the redhead and brunette (is he?) in her doorway.

"Oh Rei-chan…don't do that I could've dropped the eggs!" She sighed.

"Sorry!" Rei giggled, definitely not meaning it. "But guess whose here!"

Sakura paused, looking at the doorway.

This time, she did drop the eggs, but another miracle in itself was that the pan plopped onto the stove, where it should've been. Sakura grinned, a really big smile as she walked over to the redhead, perfect Kodak moment, two friends meeting after two years of just letter writing and a very, very, long time.

"Gaara!" She smiled brilliantly. "You didn't tell me you were in Konoha!"

"Diplomatic purposes."

Sasuke grunted somewhere in the background, trying his hardest to isolate himself from this rather sappy moment.

Sakura noticed however, gracefully slipping out of Gaara's grip and looked to Sasuke.

"You'll stay right?" She asked tentatively.

He nodded slowly. "Of course."

And somehow, he thought there was a bit of an agreement between them.

Breakfast was a lovely awkward affair. The only one out of them who could talk nonstop for almost three minutes was Rei, the only one with actual true conversation skills was Sakura. Gaara and Sasuke combined created about half a person in terms of people skills and conversation skills. So, breakfast was spent with Rei chattering on about everything under the sun, this included every sun in every galaxy, because she had described what she and Taro thought monsters from space looked like.

Sakura was left to bask in the uneasiness of knowing just how terribly this situation could go with a few wrong moves.

However, Brunch passed with ease.

Sasuke helped her clean up, Gaara stayed for coffee afterwards, and Rei was showing him her amazing talent for drawing. Sakura had gotten around-some place around washing the forks-to ask Sasuke if he had any artistic talent. He looked at her strangely. Eventually, he confessed that he didn't but his brother had. Somehow that made Sakura feel like he was giving her a very genuine part of his memory.

Finally, Sasuke left as well, and Rei went to her room to begin drawing on her walls.

"Sakura." Gaara asked through his coffee. Scalding and black. Sakura wondered how he could stand it. "How are you?"

"I'm…" She wanted to say she was perfectly find. Peachy. Dandy. Whatever. But the words didn't slip from her tongue. "I'm not amazing, but I'm okay."

"You never wrote back."

She smiled sheepishly. "Your letter's back has been used for one of Rei's artwork. It'd break her heart if I took it down."

He chuckled at that. "The one with the flowers?"

She nodded.

"Did you get to read it?"

Frowning, she shook her head. "I'm sorry, I didn't."

"Well," He leaned over the table a bit, his sea green eyes meeting her emerald ones. "I have a proposition for you."

"You do?" She smiled.

Gaara was blunt. "Come to Suna with me."

Sakura blinked. She hadn't expected that. "…what?"

"There's a job offer over in the Suna hospital. You now how the medics are there. They can't handle a lot of stuff, and they need a teacher. It's a great job. Don't worry about where you'll live that's not important, I can get you any house you want."

"B-But Gaara," She stuttered. "Rei—

"Will be coming with you." He said seriously. "I'd never ask you to give her up."

She closed her mouth. Before Ino, before Tsunade, before Naruto…

…she thought of Sasuke.

She'd be leaving him if she went.

"Can I," She started softly. "Can I get back to you on it?"

He stared at her very seriously, eying the way her confused eyes looked at his.

"I'm leaving next week."

--

Ino made her way slowly across the park, a feeling of utter cat behavior making its way onto her face. She picked her head up, and walked with the fine gait of someone who just _totally _won the cattiest cat fight around. Which she did, actually. And for that, she was absolutely proud of. Also proud of the fact she hadn't started it. For any records, it was all Temari, and her sly smirk and the way she kind of slid next to Shikamaru somehow. Right. In. Front. Of. Her.

And suddenly, Ino's cool-headed temperature sky rocketed.

How dare her?

The main street of Konoha flinched as a hard punch hit a street lamp and the street lamp bent with a long screech.

Meanwhile, long legs crossed subtly on the long couch, sipping her tea, Sakura looked up to see her best friend flattening a street lamp right outside her window. She blinked very slowly, removing her other hand from its place on her lamp to knock on the window next to her. The small tap was enough to catch Ino's attention, and the blond turned to see Sakura waving from inside the tea shop.

Ino grinned devishly as she pushed her way through the double doors and into the café.

It was the same one they had all there memories in, its varnished and old wooden floors the same as they had been years ago. The server-caught up in another table-nodded slightly as Ino pointed she was sitting with Sakura.

"Is all you have sundresses?" Ino grinned, as she swiftly sat into the seat opposite of her friend.

Sakura laughed from behind her tea cup. "Yeah, well, I haven't been here in a while."

"I can tell." Ino picked up the menu, scanning it as she lazily stretched over her chair. "The Suna brats are in town."

Pink hair fell softly as she nodded. "Temari?"

Ino growled, the menu flopping to the small round table, next to Sakura's half eaten cake. "Don't remind me."

"Oh?"

"The skank was all over Shikamaru today, we were over at the Deli-two streets away, its good by the way-and she just kinda waltzes in there like she runs the god damn place! And then, _oh _she just casually takes the seat in the booth next to Shikamaru, _casually_ puts her arm next to his—sliding their fingers, ooohh that b—

Sakura laughed as Ino enthusiastically told her tale of Temari, herself, Shikamaru, a Deli, and a room full of people witnessing the cat fight of the year.

Finally, the blonde sighed, took a deep breathe and slid into her seat. She mixed her extra black coffee slowly as she sent a feral smile over to Sakura.

"What about you? How's life going for you?"

Sakura's lips quirked up slowly. "Not too well actually."

"Sasuke?"

"Is it written over my face?"

"Sorta kinda." Ino grinned.

Sakura looked down at her tea. "Well, I sent the two of them-Rei and Sasuke-to go run some errands for me. And they came back with one extra man, Gaara actually. I could tell the tension just by looking at there faces. We ended up having an extremely awkward breakfast that seriously ruined my morning."

"Serves that Uchiha bastard right." Ino snorted. "_What_? Don't give me that look. I mean, he's asking for it. Seeing Gaara and Rei is a perfect example of what their relationship is supposed to be. And a wake up call."

The pink-haired of the two nodded slowly. "I guess…but isn't that a little harsh?"

"Are you taking his side now?"

"I'm trying to see it from his side, if that's what you mean."

Ino studied the face of her best friend. From the way her eyelashes curled over her eyes like a tired soul, the spiky shadows patterning her pale cheeks. The way her lips met together in a pink thin line.

"Here," The suddenness of Ino's voice caused Sakura to look up quickly. "Take a day off, I'll pick up Rei from school today. Shikamaru could use the exercise. I'll tell Sasuke your off somewhere and I'll tell the hospital your sick today."

Sakura smiled gratefully. "Really?"

"You make it sound like this is difficult." Ino chortled.

"Thanks Ino, really." Seeing the weight lifted off her friends shoulders was enough thanks she needed.

"Seriously, it's not a problem." The blonde stretched, admiring how long her hair had gotten since she cut it back in her Gennin days, and got up from her seat.

"I better find Shikamaru already." Ino patted her back. "You know how long that takes."

"He's a man who doesn't like to be found." Sakura chided.

"Well he's going to be!" Ino yelled on her way to the door. "And it's not gonna be pretty!"

Still smiling, Sakura watched her best friend hop out of the café and over in the direction of the park.

She stared into the depth of her chai tea, one of those secret get-me-up kind of things for her. As it swirled partially and cleared enough for her to see her gloomy reflection, she decided she had enough of being sad. Melancholy sorrow really wasn't her forte, and quite truthfully, she was growing tired of it.

With a direct goal in mind, she stood up from her small sanctuary in the corner and went to pay.

The house with blue shutters, and white washed walls was probably the easiest to find. It was a modest two story house, with a very pretty and well tended garden in the front. In the fall, the late bloomers of summer were making there last shot into the sun, and the lawn was covered in a beautiful backdrop of leaves. It never amazed her how Kakashi-if you didn't know him personally-looked much more like a normal civilian than a shinobi at all, especially from the way his house looked.

A young brunette women who looked much to young to be married hummed as she tended to the eggplants that were just sprouting. As the brunette women saw Sakura out of the corner of her eye—Sakura never ceased to be amazed how the women wasn't a shinobi—she stopped her work and looked up to smile at one of her husband's old students.

"Sakura-san!" The lady called.

Sakura smiled back, as she made her way to the sidewalk infront of the house. "Good morning, Reina-san."

"Afternoon actually." She moved her summer hat. "Are you staying for Lunch?"

"Maybe." Sakura said noncommittally. "I have to speak with Kakahsi-sensei."

The young women frowned, pushing her hands to her hips, adjusting the watering can in her hands and as she did so. "Ah, where did he go now?"

"It's fine." Sakura assured her. "I think I know where he is."

She hopped up over the trees and onto the roof gracefully as if it was nothing more than leaping off two stairs. Reina frowned good-naturedly, muttering how she wished she had become a shinobi just to do that to get her husband down. As Sakura had predicted, Kakashi was snoozing in the afternoon sunlight, his book covering his face.

"Sensei." She kicked him lightly. "Porn isn't good for you when you have a child and a wife."

Her sensei groaned in protest, but didn't make a move until Sakura pulled the book from his face and dangled it like a very bored master would do with fish for a cat.

Like most bait, her sensei leapt up in a futile attempt to pull back his only weakness-of sorts-into his hands and safety, when Sakura lifted it up more.

"Sensei." She said quietly, as she had lured her sensei into a sitting position and gave back the book.

"Hmmm?" Her Sensei hummed noncommittally.

"What do you do when your teetering between what you want and what's right?" She fidgeted with her toes in her very civilian sandals.

"You follow your heart."

The sun was coming down in a vibrant splash of saffron. It stretched into the absolute blue like long arms, blending into purple and pink-and ended up taking over almost all of the sky. It shone through the tallest mountains, creating long shadows of her and Kakashi.

"Even if that's the wrong thing to do?"

Kakashi, for once, had closed his book. "Ah."

A frown tugged on her pink lips. "Let me rephrase that. What would you do if you were teetering between what you want and what's right _for _your child."

Kakashi let eyes-his wife didn't let him wear his mask in her presence-move from the glorious sunset to one of his old students. He studied her melancholy face with an oddly distorted apathetic look to his face.

"Why the questions so suddenly? I thought you and Sasuke had hit it off nicely?"

"I'm thinking Sensei…"

Her verdant eyes glowed in the reflection of the orange hues that lit up the sky. It brought out the green in them, they glowed in the sunset.

"Would you miss me?"

Nothing on his face changed, expect for a rather abrupt blink and a bit of a twitch. "Your leaving."

She blinked slowly. Her eye lashes met her pale cheeks with long shadows. "Yes."

"Missing-nin style or, Jiraiya style?"

"Neither."

Kakashi eyed her again. "Suicide isn't really an option here—

She laughed softly. "Tsunade-shishou needs a medic over in Suna, and Gaara really wants me to go so…

"To Suna?"

She looked over to him, her hair bleeding gold in the afternoon light. Her hair gently swaying in the soft breeze, her face awash in a sea of saffron but her shadow very dark behind her. If he had a camera, he would have taken her picture. But it was they eyes. There green depths sparkling like emeralds. Melancholy emeralds.

"To Suna." She affirmed.

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_Reviews make the updates come faster :3_


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